If you can love freely, why can’t I? Our Illustrators Celebrate the LGBTQ+ Community

In honor of Pride Month, we asked our illustrators to share what being a member and ally of the LGBTQ+ community personally means to them and how it shapes their artistic practice.

Angelo Dolojan

“Identifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community has helped me feel okay about taking up space in a community that promotes identity and self-expression. Looking back, I’d tell my teenage self: “Just be you, dude. Don’t worry too much about what other people think. And stop using so much hair gel.” I worry about the young folks living in very conservative areas all over the world and not feeling the support they deserve. I dream that the community will continue doing what we’re doing, supporting one another, celebrating the folks before us who got us to where we are now, so we can continue the work for the next generation.”

Diego Blanco

“Even though it came as a shock to my family when I came out, over time, they normalized a situation that should have been seen as normal from the beginning. Coming out has allowed me to express myself with more freedom when, for example, choosing colours. Illustration allows me to talk about what I feel, what I like and what I don’t. Looking back, I would tell my teenage self not to be afraid and not to be in a hurry. I would tell him that, when he is ready, he will experience a strength and self-confidence that will make him able to achieve everything he decides to do. He will feel free and loved, just as he is. My biggest fear for the community is that we will be stigmatized again, that society will treat us the way we were treated in the early 80s. I dream of a day where everyone can put aside their hate to understand that love is love. If you can love freely, why can’t I?”

This month, Anna Goodson Illustration Agency celebrates Pride Month and diversity in all its forms. Stay tuned for more featured stories and follow along on Instagram  #IllustratingTheFuture