My name is Mariah Barren. I am 21 years old. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. My favorite color is pink and my favorite things to do are play volleyball and play with my cat, Boo. I have attended Central Michigan University for my entire college career and I will be graduating in May 2021 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. In the future, my goal is to undertake Sex Therapy with a specialization in marriage and family counseling as well as trauma.

I am writing this blog because of the insurmountable ignorance the world displays against gay and lesbian individuals. From hate crimes to discrimination and ill-informed comments, non-heterosexual individuals have faced many obstacles in battling for equality and understanding. As a lesbian woman, I have endured these hardships and more just for being who I am. Nevertheless, I will not stop being who I am and I will tell my story and experiences in attempts to educate the public and encourage acceptance of lesbians as well as other non-heterosexual identities. Acceptance starts with education, but education means nothing without desire.

Thank you for coming! Hope to see you again!