“ how much that thinking that I had to be with a man-shaped my identity, but I think as I got older and had access to resources that I could read about and come to terms with my own sexuality I was able to identify as bisexual,” she said. “I think even that is swamped by a lot of confusion.”Įmily Silverio-Williams at Gay Pride 2018 in New York City, photo courtesy of Emily Silverio-Williams. Silverio-Williams mentioned that part of her journey had been accepting that sometimes you had to compartmentalize parts of yourself since not everyone has a clear idea of what bisexuality means. “ realizing I have to come out to different people at different times and what my identity is to me if I’m not outwardly declaring that I’m bisexual everywhere,” she said.Ĭoming to FIU was a nice change for her, she said. It gave her the space to figure out how to present herself to the world. She began volunteering for the LGBTQA initiative and was eventually hired as a student assistant, allowing her to interact more with the community. “It was exciting to make my identity the forefront of who I was rather than people understanding who I was as a kid and then who I am now,” she said. Silverio-Williams had attended Gay Pride 2018 in New York City but has never attended a Pride event in Florida.
She said going to Pride is like a celebration of her and other’s identities, and a way to feel connected to others in the community.ĭespite this year’s cancellations, she remains hopeful.
