A few years ago, during Pride Month, I was exhibiting at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. I added a small LGBTQ+ flag to my booth—a quiet symbol of identity and support. The response was immediate: people who had been interested in my work suddenly turned away. Silent rejection, subtle but unmistakable. As a woman and as an artist, I already felt overlooked in that environment. I hadn’t yet come out locally as bisexual, though I’ve known this about myself since my t...