LoveMe
is a series featuring LGBTQ thought leaders reading personal letters to their younger selves.Allison Michael Orenstein and Simone St. Laurent are a queer married couple based in NYC. St. Laurent is a successful hair stylist. Orenstein is a portrait photographer, whose work has appeared in
Vanity Fair,
Esquire,
BlackBook,
New York magazine,
Vogue,
Elle,
Interview, and more.
Watch as Simone asks her teenage self to give up on the self-loathing and allow personal love to grow with time. Allison tells her "little AO" that she is magic, and that everything she needs is already inside of her. Together, they express that one day same-sex marriage will be legal, shame will cease, and happiness will be found within their partnership.
Our partners at IHI Therapy Center are dedicated to fostering personal growth free of traditional gender, sexual orientation, and cultural biases. For support, visit IHI Therapy Center.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?Visual Artist Amber Ibarreche Thanks Her Younger Self For Growing With Every Experience Performance Artist Diana Oh Tells Her Younger Self That She Will Find Self-Acceptance Fashion Influencer Phoebe Dahl Tells Younger Self About The Kick Ass Woman She Will Grow Up To Be