Volunteer #11 - A

Sun: Libra

Moon: Leo

Rising: Scorpio

The communities I feel part of are LGBTQ+, Disabled community, science community and metal one. I wouldn't say I actively contribute to every one and my involvement probsbyl fluctuates depending on the times. I like to distance myself from the extremists/elitist of all communities because any kind of extremist brings down any community.

I was more of an 'elitist' of the metal community when I was between 13-17, I would gatekeep the titles like 'goth' 'metalhead' or 'emo' if someone didn't look 'alternative' enough or listen to the 'right kind of music because i didnt want the people who oppressed me to worm their way into a space that was completely mine where i could be myself. Getting older has definitely changed that, i think the older you get the less you care about what other people are doing.

I integrated myself into the lgbtq+ community from 16 when I started learning more about the many genders/sexualities out there. I had to do my own research and rely on the friends I had online who were part of the LGBTQ+ sub communities to educate me. I didnt fit with the straight community and I didnt actually want to, it always felt wrong. I found myself to be part of the LGBTQ+ community as a pansexual person, sadly there isn't much of a pan community in there since a lot of pan people would rather call themselves bi to save the hassle of having to explain what pan means, I personally think this thinking is damaging to the pan community since it actually feeds into the ignorance about pansexuality. I'm a proud pansexual person and I dont care if someone doesn't understand it, once I explain it the choice to accept it is up to them.

I'm mostly part of the autistic community within the disabled community, though I don't really contribute to it in the same way others do. I fundraise and i'm the first person to tell anyone about my disability but I would rather not wear things like the disability lanyard to make me stick out for it, i dont believe anyone should have to advertise their disability to be able to get on in society. From all of the communities i feel part of, I dont have many friends in this one, its very hard to find other autistic females and since everyone on the spectrum is so different, the way another person has it can clash with my own.

Im a member of 3 national societies within the science community. The institution of biomedical science, Royal society of biology and Royal society of Immunology. I contribute by sharing their scientific discoveries on social media and by keeping up with the latest research and goings on and i cant wait to be able to contribute more when I'm qualified for the role.

I think community does make up a part of our identity, but not all of it. Sometimes your community forms your identity, other times your identity forms your community. People can switch between communities and so switch parts of their Identity, like someone being raised in a strict religious community may form their own identity independently as an LGBTQ person and so leave behind the former community to immerse themselves in the one they feel best represents them.

There's been a few different lyrics throughout my life I've clung to and felt a part of. Ones like "still we will be here, standing like statues" from Enter Shikari because it makes sense to me that once you've integrated yourself into a community, you stand up for it against the outsiders. My favourite quote is from the Addams Family "normal is an illusion, what is normal to the spider is chaos to the fly".