Looking back 30 years later since I stood up against hate in all its forms I was just an other illegal immigrant, an alien that found safe refuge within the LGBTQ+ community.

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It was such a happy day, rainy but full of warmth and light. All of us standing together, fighting hate and celebrating love without shame, but with pride.

It feels like if it was yesterday when I stood up for the first time. I started documenting all the gay-prides that I could go to.

Being an illegal and all, with no resources it was quite an impossible mission moving from city to city. I could have been deported at any moment. But it did not matter I had to express what I've felt. I was living with fear and ashamed to be just an undocumented illegal. I wasn’t even an immigrant. I had to scream my truth and join the battle for our rights no matter how it would turn out. It didn’t matter if you were gay, illegal, black, green, fat, slim, man, woman, other gender, religious, atheist, gorgeous or ugly! We were all the same just trying to survive through the cracks of the system, but why we had to hide cower and shiver? Aren't we allowed to just be who we are? Aren't we allowed to love and to be loved? We had stand together all of us and claim our rights to exist and embrace who we are without being bullied, humiliated and without feeling that we do not belong. We are all humans after all no matter where or what we were born and we all have the right to love and share happiness. Just live our life in peace! This is why I joined the battle for equal rights for all... Stand together