Pansies are my favorite flower and my favorite word for what I am. I'm not completely closeted but it's hard to say outloud sometimes. I live in a small community and know a lot of people through the place I work, I just don't feel comfortable with it being common knowledge. I doubt the majority of people would care but there are times I've felt unsafe here for things less than being queer. I'm shy about sharing personal issues, even on a relatively anonymous site like this, but I enjoy seeing the support that is shared here, for people in similar situations as my own. I'll be sticking around.
Welcome...FYI...in Shakespearean England pansies were the flowers often exchanged between men, hence, it's use describing a gay male...far from delicate, they're quite hardy... starting to grow, around here in March and go through early December (remember that, hardy, not shy).
I didn't know that about them historically! but I know them to be strong and bright little flowers. Every year I grow them in my garden, I just bought a new variety of seeds to get started after the snow melts. No one's ever called me a pansy in a malicious way, it seems like the cutest insult. thanks everyone
