I can not (yet?) call myself a ‘reconciling leader’. The words stick in my mouth and choke in my throat with their declaration of already being rather than becoming something. However, I can and will declare myself a woman who is becoming a leader in the revolution for peace and reconciliation. As someone who prays and acts towards the end of the violent walls and borders that separate and divide us. To this end, I share my declaration towards reconciliation:

I declare myself an ambassador of rest. An advocate for the self-care necessary for us to be able to show up in solidarity for generations and centuries to come.

I declare myself a pleasure activist *(see adrienne marie brown’s excellent work on this). An advocate for eros, for erotic justice, for joy, for dance and for delight in the beauty and sensual ecstacy that enlivens and animates our lives.

I declare my right to reclaim desire, to follow and trust my instincts and intuition. As a bisexual and polyamorous cis-woman, I work towards inner peace, overcoming internalised homophobia and patriarchal thinking to be free from shame and judgement. I do this for the love of myself and the people I love and with the hope that my courage can light the way for young queer people to come.

I declare my desire for justice. I allow this desire to support my ability to stay with the discomfort that arises out of exploration and action around my white and class, gender and ableist privilege. I declare my desire not to confuse comfort with peace, so I can live in the uncomfortable reality of our world, and know that not one of us is free until we are all free and we can not be at peace until we are all at peace – with earth, with one another and with ourselves.