I am a black, multiracial, Afro-Caribbean person.

I am a cisgender woman.

I am straight.

I am a native English-speaker.

These are things that I am. Nothing will change them. Like Gaga, I was born this way. Like Beyoncé, I woke up like this.

I am also an immigrant.

I am also married to a cisgender, white Englishman. I am also mother to a cisgender, Afro-Latina daughter. (I became a mother via adoption, in case you're trying to do the math.)

I am also a practising Christian -- Episcopalian, to be specific (you know, the church with that cool, now-famous bishop as its leader).

I will never fully understand what it is to be a different race, a different gender, love differently or pray differently. I can try, but it will never happen.

And yet, this is also true:

I believe that every living being is worthy of love and belonging, and deserving of equal rights under the law. I am a lawyer, and I took my constitutional law class in law school very seriously.

I believe that the government should stay out of religion. And that when the government starts using religion as the justification for its actions, it is treading on dangerous ground ... because at no point do I need the government to be my religious educator. Frankly, I don't trust them to get the religion part right, regardless of faith invoked.

I believe that we should be kind to strangers, especially when they are seeking our asylum and refuge, and dear God, especially when they are children.

And I believe love is love is love is love is love is love is love.

This weekend, Marcus, Alex and I marched with the ACLU of Texas in the Houston Pride Parade. It was lovely to be among hundreds of thousands of people who believe the same thing, too.

Here are my favourite images from the day. And to really get the vibe of what it felt like to be there, click the arrow below for the soundtrack before you scroll. (I know I shared this song earlier this month, but it bears repeating.)