But first, les talk some real shit
As I was checking into my extremely large hostel with the rainbow flag flying proudly above it’s doors, I was smacked in the face with our reality. Traveling as women. Regardless of sexual orientation or the myriad of fluidity that one could represent (that adds a whole ‘nother element) we are presented with the BS that is Patriarchy . Being a woman in toxic patriarchy is frightening. We have to traverse through landmines in realms of the home, street, boardroom, media, the daily decisions we make, and the ownership of our own mind, bodies and souls. This doesn’t go away when traveling. The thing that is almost debilitating about traveling while a woman is we are out of our element, safe zones, cultures, languages, and peoples.
While checking into this hostel a woman next to us had to plea with the front desk worker for a female-only dorm due to “bad experiences in the past”. As this woman pleaded between English and Spanish to an all male staff as to why she can’t allow herself, as a seemingly single woman traveling, to be comfortable in a mixed-dorm hostel my heart shattered. The patriarchy needs to wake the fuck up to the realities of half of the population. They can start here : Is Masculinity a Terrorist Ideology?
Follow the rainbow brick road
We followed the rainbow brick road to this delicious vegan diner that happened to be square in the middle of Boystown. Boystown is the gayborhood of gayborhoods. Not only were there rainbow flags and murals everywhere you turned, all of the businesses were for Us. From barber shops to diner to realtors. I had the best breakfast since being in the States at Chicago Diner – Meat free Since ’83 and our servers were everything
Now, I’m not gonna break down the representation of the rainbow of diversity that is the family of LGBT in Boystown. I always wish for more representation for my lesbian sisters and I heard there is a little pocket in Chi that offers Us jus that but, Boystown was everything. And you could learn you some history on the way.
And off we sail
When you know people who know people you do things that make you feel fancy. Les jus say knowing an insider to Chi allowed us to be on Lake Michigan for my first time ever, see multi-faceted brilliant artists at Green Mill, and dive head first into delicious eats.
I’m on a boat!
Until we meet again.
After not seeing my home country for one year straight it felt good to fall back into the glutton and glory of The States. There is definitely some sad 1950’s laws that are pumping out of the good ole ‘Mericah but I’ll try to have hope.
Les Go... 