“It’s not always like this,” said my godmother.

It was the summer of 1993, and we were mired in traffic in the West Village, waiting for the Pride floats to clear the intersection. My godmother’s comment was intended to keep me, newly arrived from Orlando, from feeling overwhelmed by this ecstatic pageant of difference in the Big City. But as I watched swarthy men in black leather and tinted aviators dance to loud music on a flatbed, all I could think was, YES. This was freedom. Here were people who were not asking for permission to be who they were. This was self-determination on display.

Over time, I’ve watched as the image of gayness has evolved. It’s become much more nuanced. Identities bleed into each other. It’s queer. The stereotype of the gay man (flamboyant and sharp-tongued), the lesbian (plain, humorless, and practical), and the bisexual (unwilling to just be one thing, dammit) don’t even make sense anymore. New generations are starting from scratch, building their identities not the way they were told they should be and not in response to what they’ve been told—they come into themselves by not even acknowledging that there’s a way of being they should consider. Their starting point comes from within. It’s quite amazing. And inspiring.

With the Pride Issue of Gigantic, I wanted to bring a range of voices together to show what queerness is now, and perhaps to hint at what it could become. I hope the contributors’ work brings you closer to them, to the bravery it takes to be who you are. This, too, is self-determination on display.

—Kristina Feliciano, editor in chief, creative director