Rebel Girls Celebrate Pride: 25 Tales of Self-Love and Community
7 ALANA SMITH SKATEBOARDER Alana was seven when their feet first touched a skateboard As they swooshed through the quiet streets of their Arizona neighborhood their heart took flight They loved the feeling of wind whipping around them They loved the board's sturdiness and the whir of the wheels underneath Soon Alana was taking lessons at a skateboarding school in town Their pulse pounded each time they sped down the ramp or launched into the air They rode down thin rails They flipped their skateboard this way and that They twisted their body mid-jump They fell often And sometimes it hurt But each time they got up shook themself off and skated on When Alana was 12 they flew to California to compete at a tournament There they tried a trick that no one competing in the women's category had ever done in a competition before a 540 McTwist To do a McTwist Alana had to spin one and a half times in the air while holding the edge of their board with one hand The crowd applauded as Alana flew down the curve of the half-pipe But they missed their landing and oof skidded on the ground On Alana's next try they sped down the half-pipe and up the other side Suddenly they were airborne upside down and spinning They grabbed the edge of their board like they'd practiced Then their wheels clacked hard against the ground The audience cheered Alana had landed it Alana came out as bisexual when they were 16 and right before competing in the Olympics in 2021 they told the world they were nonbinary They said Going into the Olympics I just wanted to be my authentic self BORN OCTOBER 20 2000 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING ENOUGH AND YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT AND YOU REALLY WORK AS HARD AS YOU HUMANLY CAN ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE ALANA SMITH ILLUSTRATION BY RUT PEDREÑO
9 ALOK VAID-MENON WRITER AND PERFORMANCE ARTIST Alok was always fond of colors the brighter the better When selecting clothes they always chose vivid patterns If the boys clothes were too drab for Alok they dressed in their mother's and sister's things Alok didn't feel like a boy or a girl As they grew up Alok began to understand that boy and girl weren't the only options and that they were nonbinary They began to use the pronouns they and them Sometimes people were mean about the way Alok chose to dress which made them sad and afraid So Alok turned their feelings into art performing onstage and writing beautiful poetry One day a dress nearly leaped off the rack at Alok begging to be worn They put it on nervously But when Alok strolled down the street they felt completely at peace Vibrant material billowed around their legs The breeze ruffled their long flowy hair They wore some purple lipstick and shiny shoes just for fun Once someone stopped Alok at the grocery store and asked Why do you dress like that Alok started to walk away but the person admitted they used to like dresses too They laughed it off but the person seemed wistful like they missed wearing dresses What if all clothes were for all people Alok wondered They knew exactly what to do They started designing clothing that anyone could wear no matter their gender Alok's clothes feature the brilliant colors and patterns they have always loved Alok rocks their strong style every day After all fashion is for everyone BORN JULY 1 1991 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
