"Be you, LOVE whomever", an open letter by Mike Taveira
I am proud of me. It’s hard for myself to even say that but I’m working more on self love everyday. Growing up to not have another male figure to be openly proud of loving any gender or whoever he could love, would give me a reason to go back to feeling shameful of who I am. “Am I the only one?” “Is there something wrong with me?” “Am I confused like everyone is saying I am?” Everyone would always say to me, ‘Oh, you’re straight, you’re just confused.’ And then, ‘You’re gay — you just don’t know it yet.’ So I would listen and go back and fourth of being straight or gay. Until adulthood and finally listening to myself. Moving to NYC helped me realize who I am.
It's crazy to see all of the double standard there are in this world. Society has molded each and everyone one of us and if someone wants to slip out of that box you are ostracized. Minorities have to fight so many battles just to be heard and there are double standards in each minority as well it gets to be very overwhelming. For me, I never felt like I fit in anywhere. The straight community feels awkward if I wanna talk about a guy and the queer community gets grossed out when I mention having feelings for a girl, or none of them believe what I have to say or that bisexuality/pansexuality even exists. Men aren't allowed to experiment their sexuality and kiss another boy or they are labeled as gay immediately and women are objectified if they kiss another girl. Trans people and non-binary people are shut out of so many spaces it's completely unfair. This is what societal structures are doing and if I can be just an inkling of a change then that's what I will fight for for the rest of my life.
I started writing music from the result of breakups. they were rough, like I assume most break ups are, but it also shaped me into who I am today. I began to sing to myself every day. I would just keep singing and singing and singing, crying then singing some more. Eventually, the melodies congealed into actual songwriting, and the songwriting into actual singles. Never having someone to look up to that would vocally express ‘I’m into women, I’m into men, I’m into trans women, I’m into trans men,” is actually why I started to release music and visuals that reflect of who I am. I hope I could be an example for somebody who’s younger — a girl, guy, trans woman, trans man, non-binary — who could just watch my music videos and be like, ‘Hey, that’s me.'” I don't want another young person to feel like they can't experience something beautiful or love another human being based off gender and how society will judge them. Be you, LOVE whomever.
- Mike