_{As a young person, Lavadious Walker was bullied and called various names simply because they were different. Lavadious was rejected by some of their relatives and kids at school which hurt them deeply. In later years, Lavadious would often alternate between dressing as a cis-gendered man and a cis-gendered woman.}

_{This was confusing to many—but not to them. Dressing a certain way was simply a form of self expression. Lavadious finally found a place where they felt safe—the Jackson, Mississippi LGBTQ+ community. With the acceptance and support of this newfound family, Lavadious thrived and blossomed into the person they were supposed to become!}

_{Dominique made this panel with her mother, Temica, and friends at Jackson State University in the summer of 2022.}

_{"... this person helped me kinda become who I am now."}

_—Dominique

_‍

_‍