🌈 This one’s for the ones who’ve ever felt invisible…💫✨

(Trigger Warning. Scroll to the bottom to download)

I know what it's like to not feel seen...

I know what it's like to talk about dreams and be brushed off, topics changed...

I know what it's like to be told you're not good enough, you won't make it, you dream too much, it's unrealistic...

I know what it's like to feel like I am too much, like my emotions are too big for the room...

I know what it's like to tell your mom you're going on a date with someone of the same sex and have her have a complete meltdown about it...

I know what it's like for your step-dad to come and talk to you, telling you to take it back, say you were joking. Please save her feelings, she's really upset.

Her words paraphrased: "How can you not know if you like boys or girls, you must decide, you must choose, there can only be one option." But she's liberal though... so why do I have to take this back and not go on a date with someone who was fun, had beautiful energy and is gorgeous to top it off? It wasn't a big deal, was it? Why did this excited conversation become about me not knowing how to make a decision, and become about her having a meltdown so badly that I now have to take it back to make HER feel better? If you're wondering, I didn't take it back. If it upsets her, that's not on me.

I know what it's like to want to die...

How to fake a smile so perfectly with my sparkles that all 3 times I tried to take my own life it was a "surprise". I overheard the nurse in the hospital say "stupid girl, she should've been dead with the amount of medication she took", but what she didn't get was that it was genuinely not a cry for help. I was tired, tired of trying to fight for a place in this world, and now this was really more of an inconvenience than anything to me that I survived after they pumped my stomach. Looking back now, the constant struggle and the need to not be here just came from the thing we all want and need, which is to be SEEN. Not the neat little boxes people like to put each other in so that they feel comfortable. It's much easier just sorting you into a box than taking the time and effort to understand how unique every person is.

But you see, the thing is that I have been in heterosexual relationships all my life basically, and the person I consider my soulmate happens to be a man-lucky me. How sad that is. That I get to be 'lucky' that his soul was not in another body.

So, what I don't know is what it's like to love someone so much and have society tell me there's something wrong with me for who I love. How can love be wrong? We've barely explored our own oceans to their depths on this Earth, now you want to tell me you fully understand the odd concept of loving someone and how it should definitely be confined to gender norms and what I FEEL is wrong.

What I don't know is the daily struggle to fight so hard to simply exist as you are, outside of all the perfectly neat boxes with their perfectly neat bows.

What I don't know is having to watch my back and look over my shoulder when I leave my house because I am scared a stranger will murder me for being who I am and minding my business going about my day. Worried I could die. Just for existing as I was meant to.

We've come far but the fight for the simple right to exist as we are and love who our heart decides to love is not there yet.

So, I spent all month perfecting a shirt that celebrates as many LGBTQIA+ flags as I physically could. And through this process I just wanted you to know one thing:

I. SEE. YOU. 💖

I may not know you, I may not know the extent of your struggles. But I see you. I see, and I deeply feel the need to use my skills to give you something better than the free base game update last year, something worthy, something made with love, made to ✨SHINE✨, made to wear with 🌈Pride. I spent all month making this shirt, pouring my heart and soul into making something that was not just a rainbow slapped on a mesh for the sake of inclusivity. It needed to be perfect, and feel bright like the celebration it is to be able to represent yourself fully, at least in your world in The Sims.

You may not have a place in every corner of the world, but you have a place here, next to me. And to the people who write you off, make you feel unworthy, like there's something wrong with you, I am telling you now that there is NOT. Sadly, we can't change everyone's way of thinking, we can only try and educate and lift each other up.

Just know one thing: At the end of the day, it's THEIR loss to not want to know your beautiful soul. You are worthy. And they're missing out. Go and shine, leave them in your sparkle dust. 💫

If you felt uncomfortable reading this, take the opportunity to educate yourself, don't waste that beautiful energy on hate. Go read up to learn about the flags and why they exist, or if you're someone who likes a good Netflix documentary, go watch the one about Venus Xtravaganza (the whole thing, don't turn it off when your stomach stirs). It's uncomfortable to watch, but pieces like that make a difference. Take just one second of your day to TRY and understand.

Then picture your partner and tell me: Why do YOU get to love them unconditionally, openly, publicly, in gatherings to celebrate love with all your friends and family when you get married? Everyone is there to celebrate your love, how beautiful! Now what if someone said that it's fundamentally WRONG and literally wanted to kill you for that? You're not hurting anyone; you're loving another soul. Now some people want you to DIE for that? Let that sink in... and then choose love going forward.

Love should be celebrated. Individuality should be celebrated. ✨

How boring would the world be if we were all the same?

🎁Download the Pride Collection here💌

Each swatch has been hand-painted, I will post videos soon of how the flags were interpreted into the bows. I used the color codes from each individual flag to stay as true as possible, but have a glittering result. I hope you feel love, and I hope your Sims can represent themselves with Pride with this collection.

🌈 PRIDE Flag Crop Top - Male-Frame Version (Available on TSR)
💖PRIDE Flag Crop Top - Femme-Frame Version (Available on TSR for download on 2 July)

🤩NSFW Bowtiful Pride Pasties (Compatible with male and female-framed Sims)

Thank you so much to romantbrandt84 for his entry with Johnny for the campaign, it was so much fun working with him. Download Johnny Moore on the gallery from romantbrandt84.

Thank you to Fatal Rose for letting me use the gorgeous Khloe (winner of SNTM's first NSFW competition!) to represent Bisexual in the Bows. If you're looking for the shorts, head on over to her page. 💖

Cazz xxx

P.S. This was an incredibly difficult thing for me to post, but I needed you to know the full, glitter-free story behind the clothes. I know it has taken a while to get to you but minus the technical difficulties I hope you can see why. x