Isaac Dunbar’s Love Letter to the LGBTQ Community

This Pride Month, Billboard asked artists to write a series of love letters to their LGBTQ fans, highlighting what the community means to them, as people and as artists. Below, Isaac Dunbar breaks down a lifetime of being “inspired by queerness,” and offers a message of encouragement to his queer fans: “Don’t mind the commentary, and stand firm.”

To the queer person reading this, you are everything.

First of all, you are loved. I want to encourage you — when you walk outside, be proud of what you wear. Be proud of how you walk and how you talk. Don’t mind the commentary, and stand firm. Your mere existence will cause an uproar on three sides. The side that is against you, and the side that supports you.

There is another side, though … the ones that want to embark on a journey like yours. A walk of life encompassing bravery and boldness. It’s so easy to focus on the negative, but I want to show you the positivity that follows you being yourself.

My whole life, I have been inspired by queerness [while] growing up in an environment where it was not accepted. In this age of information, we are able to tell our stories in a widespread way. I personally have found comfort in niche communities on the internet in regard to my queerness. So, to whoever you are, reading this wherever you are, I want these words to bring you comfort and peace: You will find your chosen family if need be. I thought I never would.

Again, don’t mind the commentary.