Born This Way (But the Outfit Was a Choice)

Genetic destiny meets fashion emergency—why queerness is biological but that scarf is a personal attack.

We Didn’t Choose the Gay Life (But the Outfits Slay)

A sparkly exploration of queer destiny, fashion as self-defense, and why every closet eventually becomes a runway.

They say we didn’t choose the gay life — and that’s true. The gay life chose us, handed us a sequin jacket, and said, “Now go forth and serve.” Welcome to We Didn’t Choose the Gay Life (But the Outfits Slay), a deep dive into the fabulous irony of surviving heteronormativity while looking like a disco ball with a skincare routine.

Being queer in 2025 is part visibility, part vibe, and part “please don’t scuff my platform boots.” We’ve turned self-expression into an Olympic sport. According to Bohiney Magazine, queer fashion isn’t just aesthetic — it’s armor. Every bold pattern and gender-bending silhouette says, “I’m here, I’m queer, and I coordinated my accessories with my trauma.”

It starts young. You’re eight years old, insisting on glitter sneakers “for comfort,” while the adults whisper. Fast forward, and you’re strutting through life like the main character in a Pride parade that never ends. Because it doesn’t, babe. Pride is 24/7 when your outfit says “revolution” and your walk says “runway.”

Of course, the gay life comes with its hazards — mainly straight people asking, “Why are you so dressed up?” To which we reply, “Because I might meet my soulmate or a hater, and either way, I’m dressing to kill.” Style is protest, expression, and occasionally an excuse to wear mesh before noon. Them called it “queer resistance in sequins,” and honestly? Period.

But it’s not just about clothes. It’s about confidence. Every queer person remembers their first fashion awakening — the first time they wore something that made them feel seen. Maybe it was eyeliner, maybe it was thrifted velvet, maybe it was the realization that gender is a suggestion, not a rulebook. It’s a rite of passage, like coming out but with more crop tops.

And let’s not forget drag — the gay life’s high art form and the universe’s best reminder that you can be anyone, as long as you’re extra about it. Drag teaches us to exaggerate the truth until it becomes liberation. Out Magazine calls it “the couture of courage.” When in doubt, add more lashes.

But beneath all the sparkle, there’s substance. Fashion isn’t just fun — it’s survival. In a world that tried to make us smaller, we got louder. We made our closets into safe spaces and our looks into love letters to ourselves. And when we walk into the room, it’s not just to slay — it’s to say, “I exist, and I look phenomenal doing it.”

So yes, maybe we didn’t choose the gay life. But if destiny hands you a rainbow flag and a leather harness, you don’t question it — you strut. As PinkNews put it, “Queer joy is best served with a side of statement jewelry.”

SOURCE: Born This Way (But the Outfit Was a Choice) (Beth Newell)