Emily Bett Rickards Instagram – I’ve been in three major US cities in the past two weeks and upon landing I have gotten emotional each time. I’ve wept, I’ve smiled, I’ve skipped. In Detroit there was a rainbow pride flag that greeted me on my way to baggage claim. In Louisville the rainbow was not only on the streets but in every restaurant and store. This past weekend in Philly my friend @coltonlhaynes literary masterpiece Miss Memory Lane was front and centre at the “buy before you fly” section. I have to say I am surprised. HAPPILY surprised! I grew up with strong LGBTQ+ role models in my family and supportive parents but in the past I’ve been told to be “cautious” about my queerness that it could “limit the parts” I might get to play and even a few weeks ago someone close to me was worried the US consulate would ask me about my sexuality and that it might hinder my ability to work in the states. It took me awhile to find myself as part of the Q in the acronym of love and I constantly wonder what it would have been like to have gotten to this knowledge earlier in life. My friend @emrellz and I talk about this ad nauseam but we always end up in the same place – grateful for who we are, who we have become, and immensity grateful for those that helped the rainbow get into the airport, the restaurant and the bookstore. I am also beyond grateful for the friends that have guided me toward being me (two pictured here who I miss the most in this moment), the unwavering patience of my parter and the LGBTQ+ community that without fail is the best this world has to offer. xoxo queer baby 🏳️‍🌈