This past year was a really pivotal one for us, and we reached some very big goals. We secured more client projects than ever before, and increased our income from brand partnerships exponentially. We also collaborated with more travel and tourism clients than in any other year, and made the most out of the months that we were able to travel safely around our province. We also focused on diversifying our content, and put a lot of time and effort into growing our YouTube channel. At the end of 2021 we were invited to join the YouTube Partner Program, which allows us to add an additional passive income stream to our business. We also continued to grow the consulting division of our business, and worked with new consulting clients to share what we’ve learned, and help others grow their own businesses! Finally, we focused a lot on networking, which resulted in some really wonderful interviews and press mentions. We also got some major recognition by being nominated for 2 industry awards and winning 1 of them! We were nominees for ‘Travel Influencer of the Year’ at the Gay Travel Awards by GayTravel.com, and we won ‘Creator of the Year’ at the Atelier 25 Awards by The Atelier Collective. Last year was proof that hard work really does pay off, and we’re so proud of what we were able to accomplish. Now in 2022 it’s time to level up, and let some of our even bigger dreams become realized!

Steph’s film background is in documentary, and we’ve always wanted to incorporate some long-form documentary style video into our content. Back in the fall of last year we applied for a program here in BC, and put together a full proposal for a documentary project that we really want to make together. In January we found out that we’ve been awarded a $10,000 production grant through the Telus STORYHIVE Voices Program to create our project! We will be making a 6 part documentary series about the queer community here in Vancouver. The program offers mentorship, workshops, and guidance throughout the process, and when our project is finished it will be distributed on TELUS Optik TV On Demand! 

We are so excited to share this process with our Lez See The World community. We are beyond thrilled to be making this dream come true as it’s something we’ve always wanted to do with our business. We are so grateful to TELUS and to STORYHIVE for valuing us as creators, and for valuing queer stories. We can’t wait to get started on this project and to share the finished result with all of you later this year. Steph will be directing and editing, and the two of us will be co-writing and co-producing the series. It’s titled Queer Vancouver: The Past, Present, and Future, and the 6 episodes will explore the queer community in our home city. We are so excited to dive into this work, and we feel honoured to get to tell this story. 

This is the year that Lez See The World is officially expanding to include a production company, with this being our first large scale project. We know this is the start of many big things, and we couldn’t be more excited! Stay tuned for more updates.

The post Introducing Lez See The World Productions  appeared first on Lez See the World.

Hotel

We wanted to spend our anniversary somewhere that meant a lot to us, so we stayed a couple of nights at The Victorian Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The Victorian is where we stayed when we got married back in 2015, and it’s always been so special. It’s a gorgeous boutique hotel right next to Gastown, the city’s historic district. The rooms are charming and beautiful, and it’s such a unique spot. The hotel is in a beautiful heritage building that first opened in 1898! It’s a very special place to us and it was the perfect spot to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. The staff is incredible and made us feel so welcome, we truly cannot thank them enough. They did everything possible to make sure we had a wonderful stay and enjoyed our celebrations, and they had excellent safety precautions in place for all their guests. We highly recommend The Victorian Hotel for special occasions, or for a unique staycation in Vancouver. And if you’re not local to Vancouver, be sure to put this spot on your list for when travel is possible again and you can come visit!

Dinner + Drinks

For a very special anniversary dinner, we had an unforgettable meal from Mila Plant Based. Mila is a new vegan restaurant in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Vancouver, with an internationally inspired menu and amazingly creative dishes. We’ve been wanting to try them out for months now, and they put together a perfect menu for us for the occasion! We got to try two of their sushi rolls – Aburi Lox Oshi and their Mila roll, the most incredible Mushroom + Sausage Tagliatelle, and one of their special holiday entrees – a vegan Wellington. We even managed to save room for dessert and enjoyed their Peanut Butter Cup Pie! Their food was so amazing and we can’t wait to go to their restaurant in person to enjoy a full dining experience (complete with cocktails!). We highly recommend this restaurant for celebrating a special occasion, or anytime you want a fantastic plant-based meal. Mila is available for delivery, and open daily for lunch and dinner. They also just launched a weekend brunch menu that looks delicious! 

Anniversary Photoshoot

To celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary, we planned a photoshoot with our incredible wedding photographer Sara Rogers Photography. Sara did such an amazing job photographing our big day in 2015, and we were so excited to do another session with her to celebrate the occasion! We thought it would be really special to shoot in some of the same places we took our wedding pictures, and The Victorian Hotel was such a perfect spot for a photoshoot. The rooms have great natural light, and there are plenty of spots in and around the hotel that make for lovely photos. There is a gorgeous staircase and hall, as well as a really beautiful fire escape outside! We couldn’t be happier with how the images turned out.

A Surprise Proposal

Steph finally got her proposal! I surprised Steph during our photoshoot by getting down on one knee and asking if I could take her name. It’s something I had been thinking about for a long time now, and I actually can’t believe I managed to keep it a secret from her when she’s the hardest person to surprise! Even since we got engaged in 2014, Steph has always joked that she’s been waiting for her own proposal. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I knew it could be a really special way to celebrate our 5th anniversary. During our photoshoot I had our photographer Sara suggest that we go back to the staircase in the hotel where we shot some of our wedding photos. She suggested we re-create our first look, and got Steph to turn around while I grabbed a sign I had hidden away. Her reaction was so beautiful, and these photos make us tear up every time we look at them. It was such a special moment, and I’m so glad we have it all captured! 

Celebration

After the proposal and plenty of tears, we finished up the photoshoot. We headed outside onto the fire escape behind the hotel to take some beautiful photos with the city skyline. Just like on our wedding day in 2015, the sun came out and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect for us! Even though we were cold, a dry day with sunshine was more than we could have hoped for. To finish things off, we went down into the street to pop some champagne and celebrate. The streets were empty, the sun was setting, and we had a toast to 5 years of marriage and officially becoming The Burlton Family!

There are so many businesses and individuals who helped make this occasion so special, and we truly cannot thank them enough. We are so grateful and feel incredibly lucky to have had such an amazing celebration that we will remember forever! We’re so glad we chose to document this day, and these photos will be something we can look back on for years to come. It’s always worth it to document the big moments in your life and your relationship! Thank you so much to everyone who wished us well on our anniversary, and to everyone who has supported our relationship over the years. It means so much to us.

Disclosure: This post is not sponsored by any of the businesses mentioned. The Victorian Hotel did generously host us for our stay, and Mila Plant Based offered us a complimentary meal. We are so excited to share both of them with our audience as we had a wonderful experience and highly recommend them both!

The post Our 5 Year Wedding Anniversary appeared first on Lez See the World.

We Visited Mexico for the First Time Together

We kicked off the year with 2 weeks in Mexico, exploring the Yucatan and Riviera Maya. We rented a car, stayed in local Airbnbs, avoided the resorts, and had an amazing experience. We spent time in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. We visited an ancient Maya city, explored the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, discovered as many local businesses as we could, and of course spent plenty of time on the beach. It was an amazing trip and one we’ll never forget!

Read all our Mexico articles here.

We Road Tripped through California with Theo

California is one of our favourite places to travel, and we’ve done countless trips down there! Early this year we did a road-trip with our dog Theo and had the best time. We visited both San Fran and LA, and did plenty of stops in-between in Palo Alto, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Carmel, Santa Barbara, and more. It was the perfect break from our Canadian winter and a trip that I’m sure we’ll do again sometime!

Read all of our California articles on the blog and at Visit Gay USA

We Bought Our Dream Condo in Vancouver

One of our biggest dreams came true in 2019 – we bought a condo in our home city of Vancouver! This had been a goal of ours for a long time and we are so incredibly happy that everything aligned for us to reach it. It was a crazy journey and a lot of things needed to come together, but we got possession of our dream place in April of this year. It was a whirlwind and we had plenty of obstacles to overcome, but we couldn’t be happier!

Click here to read all about how we got our new condo.

We Spent a Month in South America

Steph has been in love with South America since long before we met, and this year we were finally able to experience it together. We spent a month exploring Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia, and it was such a huge highlight of our year! We tangoed in Buenos Aires, explored the cobblestone streets of Colonia, and discovered the walled city of Cartagena. We ate amazing vegan food, Steph got to practice her Spanish, and we truly didn’t want to leave! We can’t wait to return to South America one day (and maybe bring Theo).

Read all of our South America posts on the blog.

We Attended World Pride in NYC

Celebrating World Pride in the city where the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement began was incredibly special. 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in NYC, and the celebration in the city was huge! We attended the parade and festivities, and met up with a bunch of queer women who we’ve connected with online. It was extremely empowering, and we are so grateful for the experience which completely exceeded our expectations.

Read more about our experience at World Pride on Instagram:

We Fell in Love With Aruba

One of our favourite trips this year was to the island of Aruba. It was our first time in the Dutch Caribbean, and we were completely blown away! Beautiful quiet beaches, gorgeous Caribbean sunsets, friendly people, excellent LGBTQ+ laws, and an incredible plant-based food scene, it doesn’t get much better than that! We would love to go back and visit the other two “ABC Islands” Curacao, and Bonaire.

Read our Aruba articles here.

We Went Back to Central America

We hadn’t been back to Central America since visiting Costa Rica and Nicaragua in 2017, but we returned this year and explored Panama! We based ourselves in Panama City and saw the Rainforest, the Panama Canal, the San Blas Islands, Soberania National Park, and Gatun Lake. Our visit was packed with adventure and we had such an enjoyable time. It definitely won’t be our last visit!

Read all of our Panama articles here.

We Celebrated 4 Years of Marriage

On December 28th we celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary! We got married in our home city of Vancouver between Christmas and New Years in 2015, and we always love being home to celebrate our anniversary. This year we went out to dinner at our favourite restaurant in Chinatown, and looked back at all of our wedding photos to reminisce about our special day.

Click here for more wedding photos and details about our wedding day.

We Connected With Our Community

One of our major goals of 2019 was to bring more people together within the LGBTQ+ community, and to meet more of our online friends in person! We started hosting Lez See the World meet-ups this year, and brought incredible groups together in Vancouver, San Francisco, Toronto, NYC, Portland, and Niagara Falls. It was one of our favourite parts of 2019 and we can’t wait to welcome more wonderful people into our lives in 2020!

To join our community group and attend future meet-ups, head to Facebook.

Thank you for reading! We hope all of you had an amazing year. Let us know your favourite moment from 2019 in the comments below!

The post Our 9 Favourite Moments from 2019 appeared first on Lez See the World.

I had regularly attended Pride celebrations in my home city of Vancouver, but it had always been with my gay male friends, and straight female friends. I also spent a number of years working at Pride as a performer, and experienced tons of fun weekends on stage dancing with drag queens. I always had a blast, and I always felt comfortable in that space. However, when it came time to attend Pride as a lesbian with my new girlfriend, I was filled with anxiety.

Steph and I had been dating for 6 months when our first Pride together rolled around. She had been my only reference for lesbian things, and I’d spent the last half of a year taking a crash course. We binge watched The L Word, I met her gay hockey teammates, and I tried to get to know other lesbian couples. I entered this new world tentatively, and I really didn’t know if I would ever feel comfortable in it.

When I was introduced to people in the community, they usually didn’t care to even learn my name. Steph was my first girlfriend, I was in my early twenties, and I’m as femme as they come. All of these truths seemed to mean that I didn’t belong. It appeared as though everyone thought I was going through a college age “phase”, and that poor Steph was going to have her heart broken. Inside, I was bursting to defend myself. I knew I had finally figured out who I was, and being with Steph just felt right. Of course at that time, I didn’t know for sure we would live happily ever after (spoiler alert – we did!), but I knew I wanted to be with her. And I knew I was gay.

I present as very feminine, and it made it impossible to convince anybody that I belonged. I grappled with a constant need to prove my gayness, and tried to wiggle my way into a community I so desperately wanted to be a part of. Up until that point in my life, I had never felt a strong sense of belonging. I’d dated men and had a couple of boyfriends, but I always felt different because I liked girls. When I met Steph and came out as a lesbian, I think I just expected to waltz across a rainbow and be welcomed by the gay community with open arms. I was really startled when that didn’t happen.

During my first Vancouver Pride with Steph, we attended a big lesbian party together. I stressed about what to wear and how to act, and I was nervous to be around so many other gay women. At the party, I managed to get hit on by a straight guy (don’t ask me why he was even there). Steph jumped in to explain that we were a couple, and I remember feeling like a complete imposter.

In the years following, Pride continued to be a worrying time for me. I always wanted to just relax and enjoy myself, but I would often end up feeling emotional and withdrawn. I struggled to own my space in the community, and to include myself when I didn’t feel included by others. I was in constant fear that everyone thought I was a fraud. I would tear up watching the parade each year, knowing that being gay was a huge part of me, even if nobody else could see it.

It’s been 8 years since my first Pride weekend with Steph, and I would be lying if I said that these feelings don’t still come up. Though today, I think I can finally say that I don’t feel the need to change who I am to fit into the club. People might always assume that I’m straight. Men may never believe that I have a wife. Other lesbians may still think that I’m too femme to belong. And I think I’m okay with it all. I’ve learned so much about myself in these past 8 years, and I’ve learned to love and accept myself in ways that I never thought possible.

I love that I’m a feminine woman who loves women. I love that I’m married to an incredible woman. I love that I’ve been in a monogamous same-sex relationship for 8 and a half years, and it’s been the healthiest, most fulfilling relationship I could have ever dreamed of. I’ve learned to claim my space in a community that I’m incredibly proud to be a part of. I’ve learned that I don’t need permission from anyone to feel like I’m gay enough. I don’t need anyone’s approval, and I don’t need to fit anybody’s idea of what a lesbian is or should be.

Last year at Vancouver Pride, Steph and I attended that same lesbian party. It was the first time I ever wore a dress to a Pride event, and I showed up unapologetically as my femme self. I am a part of the community because I decide to be a part of it. I’ve found acceptance because I’ve accepted myself. This year and every year following, I’m going to remind myself that I do belong.

The post Coming Out as a Femme Lesbian appeared first on Lez See the World.

A HOLIDAY WINTER WEDDING

We were living in Ontario when we planned our wedding, and we decided to get married at home in Vancouver in the winter. We knew that the holidays would bring a lot of our family and friends together, and thought it would be a magical time of year to celebrate our wedding as well! We were married on December 28, 2015 in our home city of Vancouver, in Gastown, our old neighbourhood. Between the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Years, we brought the most important people in our lives together. Friends and family travelled from all over the world to celebrate our beautiful day. Despite Vancouver being iconically rainy, we miraculously enjoyed a dry and sunny wedding day, and we love to look back on our amazing memories from the occasion.

OUR VENUE

We chose a venue in the Gastown neighbourhood of Vancouver, because it’s where we used to live. It’s the oldest part of the city, with beautiful lamp posts lining it’s cobblestone streets, and it’s full of amazing restaurants, bars, and nightlife. In our opinion, it’s the most gorgeous neighbourhood in Vancouver, and it will always feel special because it’s where we made our first home together. After visiting a few venues that didn’t quite suit us, we found The Diamond, a gorgeous cocktail bar on the second floor of an old building in the main square of Gastown. The room had old wooden floors, wood tables, and great ambiance. Gorgeous brick walls lay between windows looking over the city, with white twinkle lights strung through the branches of the trees outside. It was small, intimate, and perfect for us.

OUR CEREMONY & RECEPTION

Neither of us wanted to get married in a church, or have our wedding reception in a banquet hall. We wanted a venue where we could do everything in one place, and keep things small, personal, and less formal. The Diamond was the perfect venue for us, and we used it for both our ceremony and reception. We got ready separately in the morning on our wedding day, and did our “first look” and formal photos in the afternoon. We had our ceremony in the early evening, and it was immediately followed by a casual cocktail hour and dinner reception. The staff at The Diamond did a beautiful job transforming the room from an intimate ceremony, to a fun reception. They had a small hidden bar just off their main room, where our guests mingled while the room was changed over. Our ceremony was quite casual, and was officiated by the incredible Karen Ell. We walked ourselves down separate aisles on the perimeter of the room, and read our own personal vows to one another. Our reception was emceed by our hilarious friend Flick Penman, and included a taco buffet, a vegan ice cream bar, and an awesome dance party to a self-curated playlist! We definitely did things in a way that suited us, and we couldn’t be happier with the way it all worked out.

TWO BRIDAL GOWNS

We both chose to wear wedding dresses, and it was important to us that our gowns suited us individually, but also complemented one another. We both knew that we didn’t want to wear white, and we also knew that we likely weren’t going to find what we were looking for in a bridal shop. We decided to have our dresses custom made by Vancouver designer Nicole Guzzo, and she did an amazing job bringing our visions to life. Steph decided on a stone blue colour, while I wanted something gold, and these colours helped shape all of our decor themes and even our wedding cake. Both of our dresses ending up suiting us beautifully, and they also looked really wonderful as a pair. We kept our accessories simple, and wore matching sparkly Betsey Johnson heels, and changed into matching gold Keds for our reception. We picked everything out together and saw each other in all of the fittings rather than keeping it a surprise, but that didn’t take away from the magic of seeing one another in our dresses on the wedding day.

OUR BRIDAL PARTY

We didn’t stick to any rules or traditions when we planned our wedding, and so we organized our bridal party in a way that worked best for us. We decided not to have a flower girl or a ring bearer. We also decided not to have a maid of honour or a best man. Our wedding party consisted of four brides ladies and two brides men! It was important to us to have our closest friends and family members in our bridal party, and so we had a mix of women and men. We didn’t stick to the confines of what is typically normal, but it meant that we had the people who were most special to us by our sides on our wedding day.

HAIR & MAKEUP

We took on a lot of things ourselves when it came to our wedding, but one thing that we didn’t want to do ourselves on the big day was hair and makeup. We had the wonderful Vancouver makeup artist Faye Smith and her team do our hair and makeup, as well as our brides ladies, and our moms. It was important to us that everyone feel comfortable and confident, and we kept all of the looks polished, but not too formal. Steph and I both had braids incorporated into our hair styles, and were sure to have our makeup complement one another. We’re so happy with the way that everything came together.

OUR WEDDING HOTEL

We chose The Victorian Hotel in Vancouver to stay at on our wedding night, and we also used it as our location to get ready before the ceremony, as well as take some of our bridal photos. It’s a beautiful, old boutique hotel that has been completely renovated, and it suited us perfectly. The manager was also lovely enough to give room discounts to our friends and family, and a lot of our wedding guests stayed there as well. The manager also offered us a great rate when we went back to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary in 2016.

CAKE & DECOR

Our magical winter wedding was made complete with some beautiful, simple decor. We decided not to use any fresh flower arrangements, but chose pieces that added a little festive warmth to the venue. We covered the room in candles, decorated the tables with gorgeous lanterns and winter branches, and added only small touches where we wanted, as The Diamond was already so gorgeous! Our vegan cake was actually baked and decorated by Steph (have I mentioned how many incredible hidden talents she has?), and sat on a custom made wooden cake stand. We found a lot of our smaller decor pieces from Etsy, and personalized everything the way we wanted, like ordering a Mrs & Mrs sign for our chairs. We also made a lot of decor ourselves including table place cards featuring our favourite Broadway musicals (yes, we’re nerds!), and a framed seating chart using extra fabric from Steph’s gown. Rather than having a guest book, we made a photo guest board, and had everyone take polaroids to pin on the board with a message written on the back. We had a lot of fun getting crafty and organizing the decor ourselves!

OUR RINGS

When Steph proposed on the sidewalk in NYC, she proposed with a place holder ring, and told me that she wanted me to pick out my dream ring when we got home. Every lesbian couple is different, but we both wanted to wear engagement rings. When we got home to Toronto, where we lived at the time, we both picked out beautiful vintage diamond rings on Etsy. I wanted something simple and classic, and I chose a traditional solitaire diamond with a white gold band. Steph wanted something more intricate, and she chose a three stone setting with round cut diamonds and a white gold band. For our wedding, we each chose different bands that would suit our engagement rings, and exchanged them during our ceremony. A lot of same-sex couples don’t wear wedding rings, and we don’t wear ours all of the time. But to us, they are a powerful symbol of our love and commitment, and we are so happy to have them.

OUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

We were picky when it came to a lot of our vendors, and for that reason many of the people we hired were people that we already knew. Our amazing photographer Sara Rogers, was one of them. We knew that we wanted somebody who would make our friends and family members feel at ease throughout the day, but also someone who would capture our wedding in a way that truly suited us. Not only did Sara do a fantastic job of capturing our ceremony and reception, she also planned the perfect locations to take our bridal portraits including the busy Gastown square, and the roof of a downtown parking garage (seriously amazing). We are so incredibly happy that we placed the utmost importance on finding the perfect photographer, because we absolutely love our wedding photos. They are the perfect capture of the most beautiful day, and years later they are still incredible to look at.

Did anyone else get married around the holidays!? Let us know in the comments what time of year you got married, or what time of year you’re planning to have your wedding!

The post Our Lesbian Wedding in Vancouver appeared first on Lez See the World.

I came out when I was 22 years old, and I had just started dating Steph. (You can read the story of how we met here). She was my first girlfriend, and in a way, our new relationship made it easy to come out to my family and friends. Instead of telling everyone I was gay, I just told them I was in a new relationship and it was with someone named Steph. I casually called my Mom up and told her I had started dating somebody, and it was a girl. I texted my Dad and told him I might bring somebody to the next family dinner, and her name was Steph. I didn’t have a heavy conversation with anyone. At the time, I wasn’t really thinking about the weight of it all, but looking back I realize what a huge event coming out was in my life. It changed me and shaped my entire future, and now I can see how important it was and necessary that it happened. How can any of us be truly happy, until we are living our lives openly and honestly? I truly believe that uncovering these amazing truths about ourselves and celebrating the things that make us different, is the most brave and powerful thing we can do. 

My very close friends knew about my whole journey, and they were so happy when I met Steph. I had been struggling with the idea that I might be bisexual or a lesbian, because I knew something had really been missing from my past relationships with men. I knew that I liked women but I had never met one that I wanted to be in a relationship with, so I wondered if it was even possible for me to fall in love with a girl. I did a lot of reading about sexuality, and I tried to put a label on what I was feeling so I could better understand it all. I remember texting my best friend one night saying, “What if I’m gay!?” And her response was, “Then you’re gay.” Simply and matter of fact. It was the most amazing thing she could have said, and of course she was right. If I was gay then I was gay, and I would just continue on living life accordingly.

I grew up knowing that it was okay to be gay, and I had a lot of gay male friends. Being a dancer and a model, I was often surrounded by gay men, but I didn’t know any gay women. I have to wonder how much quicker I could have figured out my own sexuality if there had been more lesbian representation in my early life. Especially feminine lesbians that I maybe could have identified with. As a teenager and young adult I had pretty much accepted that I would end up marrying a man, and that there would always be a big hole in the relationship that I would be constantly longing to fill. I really thought that would be my life.

When I met Steph, things really clicked into place. All of a sudden everything shifted, and the beliefs I had about love and relationships all changed. I found a woman who I wanted to spend all my time with, who I was attracted to, who I felt deeply connected to, and who I could really love. I was able to picture my life with her, and I knew right away that it would be complete. There would be no holes, and nothing missing. I never hesitated to tell everyone about Steph, and at the time, I wasn’t really thinking of the heaviness of what it meant. I was just excited to share my new relationship.

Of course without having really realized it, I was coming out. And I had to then proceed to answer all sorts of questions about my new relationship, and how it changed things. “Is this your first time dating a girl?”, “Did you always know you liked women?, “Does this mean you’re gay?”. I also heard some of the usual “This is just a phase”, “She’s just doing this for attention”, “She’s too feminine to be gay”, and “Her life will be harder now”. In all honesty, all of it really hurt. When you finally discover this amazing part of yourself that has been hiding for your entire life, all you want to do is share it with the world and have everyone embrace it. You want the people who love you to love this part of you, and to understand it and celebrate it.

Unfortunately not everyone will. I am far more fortunate that many, but I still had people close to me in my life that didn’t support Steph and I. They treated her in ways that I know they would have never treated my boyfriend or husband. They didn’t accept us and embrace us, and they wouldn’t stand with us on our wedding day. Coming out really changed me, and with it my life changed, and the relationships with the people in my life changed. I gained a new understanding of myself, and with it, a new confidence and sense of peace. I was growing into my true self, and many people accepted these changes in me, but some didn’t. I’ve let go of my anger towards those people, and I’ve sorted through my hurt feelings, because I know that living my truth is the most important thing.

I think I surprised a lot of people by coming out, because I didn’t fit the typical lesbian stereotype. I’m very feminine. I have long hair and I like wearing makeup. I love getting dressed up and wearing skirts and heels. I’m a professional dancer and model. I present as very, very, straight. All that being said, I still thought it was so funny that it was such a shock to everyone. Why would my sense of style, or my career choice have any bearing on who I’m attracted to, or who I fall in love with? I didn’t think there were any rules to determine what kind of woman could be a lesbian. I quickly learned that both straight people, and people in the LGBT community have ideas of what a gay woman should be, and I’m still having to fight those stereotypes seven years later. All of that makes me it even more important for me to be out and visible, every opportunity I have. 

Despite the initial surprise, many people in my life have supported me unconditionally. My Mom welcomed Steph as another daughter with absolutely no hesitation, and has treated her like her own family since the first time they met. Even my Grandparents who I didn’t think would understand, embraced Steph immediately and were excited to have gained a granddaughter. Today, my Grandma (the only remaining grandparent between the two of us), tells us every time we visit what a lovely couple we are, and how she can see how much we love each other. Steph’s family was amazing as well. They welcomed me easily into their lives, and they’ve never treated me differently for being a woman. We have incredible family members and amazing friends who have always loved and celebrated us. We feel so lucky, and are so grateful for how much support we have received throughout our relationship. It is truly overwhelming at times, and we never take for granted how good we have it. There are so many people in the LGBT community who are unable to come out, or who had painful experiences when they did. I am grateful every day for the privilege I have of living my life openly.

To anyone who may be struggling with their sexuality, or with the idea of coming out to their loved ones, please know that everyone’s journey is different, and everyone’s experience is valid. Take your time and learn to love yourself. When/if you feel safe and ready, share yourself fully and celebrate all that you are. There is so much power in embracing our differences, and I truly believe that the things that make us unique are the things that make us beautiful.

If you’re looking for more information or need support, The Trevor Project has some amazing resources on their website, including information and a 24/7 call/text/online chat line for individual support. You are not alone!

The post Kaitlin’s Coming Out Story appeared first on Lez See the World.

On this particular trip, we were spending a few days with a close friend who lived in Brooklyn. He worked at our favourite restaurant called Pure Food and Wine, an upscale raw vegan restaurant in Gramercy Park. We had been many times before, and it was our happy place, our favourite place in the world, in fact. The restaurant was truly beautiful and was often frequented by celebrities (I say was, because it unfortunately closed in 2016). It had a gorgeous garden courtyard and the friendliest staff. The food was sophisticated and incredible, and splurging on a meal there was always a highlight of our trips.

On Thursday April 17th, Steph and I woke up early in our friend, Greg’s Brooklyn apartment. Steph said that her and Greg were going to go out and pick up breakfast, and she told me to go back to sleep. I woke up a little later to delicious vegan Brooklyn bagels, and we spent a quiet morning hanging out. In the afternoon, the three of us headed into Manhattan to go to Pure Food and Wine. Steph and I had a lunch reservation, and Greg was working his shift. He served us an amazing meal, and Steph and I had a perfect afternoon in our favourite place.

After lunch we stepped out of the restaurant to go for a walk. Immediately to our right was a classic New York brownstone, and a young man sitting on the steps with a guitar on his lap. Steph slowed her steps and paused outside the building, holding my hand and flashing me a smile. The guitarist was playing our song ‘First Day of My Life’ by Bright Eyes. It was a song I had played in a class I taught, when Steph and I first met at the dance studio in Vancouver, and we’ve always considered it ours. When I realized what song the guitarist was playing, my face lit up and I smiled back at Steph. We stood and listened, and never did my mind jump to the conclusion of what might happen next. I simply enjoyed this perfect New York moment. Time really seemed to stand still, and when Steph lowered herself down onto one knee with tears in her eyes, my hands flew to my face in disbelief and I started to cry. I remember her saying something about how we’ve always talked about getting married one day, but the rest of it is a beautiful blur. I think I knelt down on the sidewalk beside her and cried and hugged her. The world truly melted away and it was just us.

What felt like minutes later, but was probably only several moments, the song ended and the guitarist stood up while Steph introduced him as her friend, Arkady. He then introduced his wife Christina who had been standing behind us taking photos. It was then it dawned on me that Steph had arranged this beautiful surprise, and it had all been a big secret kept between everyone but me. We turned around and looked back to the restaurant, where the staff were standing outside cheering and applauding. Our friend Greg was beaming holding a tray of champagne, and Steph was giggling with excitement. We walked back to the restaurant and celebrated with lots of tears and laughter, while everyone told me how wonderful it all went. I asked Steph who else knew that she was going to propose, and she laughed and told me that everyone did! She had told her family, my parents, and my best friend; and of course everyone in the restaurant knew. She explained how she had been planning this for months, and had enlisted Greg’s help with the finer details. That morning she told me to sleep in so they could discuss the plan while grabbing breakfast. I am still impressed that she managed to keep such a major secret from me. We share everything with one another and it was incredible that I never found out. It was the most perfect and beautiful surprise, and I still tear up when I think back to that day.

I know there can be so much pressure around having the perfect proposal, but in my opinion it doesn’t matter where you are or who else is there. In that moment, everything else disappears and it’s just you two. It’s a moment that you will remember for the rest of your lives, and it’s so special.

The rest of our time in NYC was a flurry of excitement and giddiness. We called our families and friends to share the news, and celebrated our engagement by winning lottery tickets to the musical Hedwig, and meeting Neil Patrick Harris on our last night in the city. It was perfect.

Somehow, it took us years to return to New York after that trip, and Pure Food and Wine isn’t there anymore. In a way, that makes it even more special that it all happened the way it did. We did finally visit NYC again in the Fall of 2018, and we decided to return to our special spot to relive this beautiful memory. The restaurant has closed, but the building is still there, and the magic of that New York street felt just the way it did on that Spring afternoon in 2014. On our last day in the city, we made our way there, and spent some time soaking up all the memories. So much has happened and changed since that day. We are older, stronger, braver, more fulfilled, more ambitious, and now we’re married. The one thing that hasn’t changed, is how in love we are, how sure we are that spending our lives together is what we’re meant to do, and how committed we are to being the best partners we can be for one another. I hope we continue to return to New York, and always find time to stand together on that sidewalk, remembering what it felt like to choose each other. Remembering how it felt to laugh, and cry, and embrace, and make one of the most beautiful memories that we will ever make together.

Engagement photos by Sara Rogers Photography.

The post Our Engagement Story – A Lesbian Proposal appeared first on Lez See the World.

At the end of 2010, I was living in Vancouver working as a freelance performer, and teaching dance and fitness classes at a couple of studios in the city. One evening when I went in to teach, I noticed an adorable brunette taking the hip hop class before mine, and a couple of weeks later I saw her again when I went in to sub a friend’s class. She started coming to my classes and making me nervous while I taught. We chatted a couple times and she told me she loved taking hip hop, but was trying to get out of her comfort zone by taking ballet, contemporary, and other styles. I told her that hip hop was not my thing, and that if she was trying to get out of her comfort zone she should come take my sexy Pussy Cat Dolls class. She jokingly suggested that I come take hip hop with her, and in return she would come to my PCD class, and I agreed. When the evening came, she brought me sweatpants and a baggy jersey to wear, and I tried to look as cool as possible in front of her. Then she stayed for my class, and I made her stand in the front and dance as sexy as she could… I’m pretty sure she hated it. We talked and joked and maybe even flirted afterwards, without knowing what kind of a friendship we were building. When you’re two girls who aren’t sure if the other might be gay, neither of you want to be the one to ask and potentially ruin it.

Steph and I always laugh about “who made the first move” because we both kind of did, and didn’t. Once we started to feel like friends, she casually asked me to go see a show with her. She gave me her phone number, but also invited some other friends from the studio. I spent days dissecting all of the signs and signals, wondering if she had asked me on a date. I confided in friends and asked their opinions, and was so nervous that I even considered coming up with an excuse as to why I couldn’t go. Finally I decided I would do it, and the day before the show I texted Steph to arrange the details. We somehow ended up spending the whole day chatting and getting to know one other. We asked about each other’s work and families, and we connected immediately on our mutual love for travel and the arts. Later on in the conversation I worked up the courage to invite her to my upcoming birthday party, and told her she could bring her boyfriend or girlfriend if she had one. I needed to figure out if she was into girls, and I figured one of us had to finally ask! By the end of the night we had both confessed our crushes on each other, and felt giddy at the thought of seeing each other the next day.

Our group hang had turned into a threesome date, as only one other girl showed up to go to the show. She of course had no idea that Steph and I liked each other, which made for a hilarious afternoon. Later that week we went on a real date, and quickly started spending every spare moment together. When my birthday approached, Steph asked me how I would introduce her to everyone at my party, and we decided I would introduce her as my girlfriend. She was the first girl I’d dated, so my birthday party became a bit of a coming out party, but all my friends embraced her without question. Soon after, Steph introduced me to her friends and we met each other’s families. Our relationship moved forward quickly and easily, and we have been inseparable ever since.

We consider my birthday to be our dating anniversary, and now in 2018 we’ve been together for over 7 years. Steph always says that she attracted me into her life, and I truly believe that she did. Right before we met, she had returned from a three month solo backpacking trip through South America where she’d done a lot of personal growth. Upon getting home, she was trying to do things that challenged her, which led her to take dance classes at a nearby studio. She says that she felt open to the idea of a relationship at that time, but she knew she liked feminine girls and wasn’t meeting any in her circles of hockey friends. If she wanted to meet someone new who had similar interests to her, she knew she had to get out and do something different. As soon as she did, she met me. She found me at the perfect time in her life and I found her at the perfect time in mine. Before meeting Steph I was doing some growing of my own. I was discovering that I might be gay, and realizing that was why my previous relationships had failed. I was confused and a bit scared of what it all meant, and I was doing a lot of research trying to define my feelings. I was going out to gay clubs with my friends hoping to meet a girl, but failing desperately every time. I was ready to invite someone into my life, and I knew that I wanted a serious relationship. When I finally opened myself up to all possibilities, I found her.

We are firm believers in “when you know, you know”, and I think we both knew quite quickly. We could picture our life together. And of course our life has taken us in all sorts of directions since we met, and our love has grown and evolved beyond what either of us could have imagined. But it all comes back to us simply knowing that this is it, and we choose each other, forever.

The post How We Met – A Lesbian Love Story appeared first on Lez See the World.