Queer Public Speaking In-Person - 2025

First bucket list item completed in 2025: do a public speech in-person. It was exciting and thrilling, and the praise I received afterwards was overwhelming. The underlying theme was my ability to be vulnerable in a natural, comedic and relatable manner. How did I do it?

• Relinquishing the idea of perfection or forcing a certain impression on the audience through being inauthentic. Through a firm belief that my self-worth isn't contingent on social acceptance or rejection, unmasking my quirks and presenting non-censored stories comes very naturally.

• Having self-trust. This doesn't mean never failing, making mistakes or having everything figured out. It means believing that whatever presents itself, I have the ability to roll with the punches and navigate possible consequences of undesired outcomes. This was the reason I didn't have a script in-hand on stage; it induces anxiety through hyperfocusing on regurgitation for my black-and-white thinking brain. There is no room for play or freestyling.

• Reclaiming the power of my own voice and story, and levelling up each year. From a young boy experiencing debilitating social anxiety and seeing no purpose in life, to now, being openly different in the public eye across various intersecting identities and doing public speaking. I never saw this coming.

• Mentally perceived physiological response to stress (e.g., nerves, increased heart rate) as excitement as opposed to anxiety. I told myself, “I AM SO HYPED FOR THIS. LET'S GO” as opposed to “This is so scary. I'm gonna do so bad”. The story we tell ourselves about who we are or what we are capable of impacts us more than what may be realised. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I'm so excited to see the paths these experiences can lead me down in future. This is the year for self-trust in full.