With her rainbow-colored hair, sparkly eye makeup, and iridescent nails, Beverly Tan is immediately recognizable. The 30-year-old lesbian shines with self-assurance, exuding queerness even in a run-of-the-mill coffee shop.
“I’m a wannabe lesbian icon,” Tan says with a bright smile. “I’ll be the most rainbow fish in the small pond.”
In many ways, Tan is just being herself. She loves sparkle, she loves lavender, and she loves to stand out. But in North Carolina, a queer person being themself is inevitably a statement.
“I’ll have younger queers say, ‘Wow, you’re so out there. You just look gay,’” Tan says. “There are kids out there that want to be that, but they’re scared. It is hard, especially with the recent laws here in North Carolina. I don’t think everyone has to be brave, but I am. And hopefully that can be a little bit of…
