So, let’s kick my jetlagged (aka lazy) post-holiday butt into gear with a good old blog hop and giveaway! It’s quite fitting that the theme for this hop is Equal Rights as I just returned from a trip San Francisco. We arrived on the day that the Supreme Court ruled against DOMA and there was quite a party going on in te Castro.

I’ve been quite lucky in the sense that, despite being a lesbian, I never really had to fight for anything. I never considered myself any different from anyone else, because (as cheesy as it may sound), even when I first realised I liked girls as a teenager, I always did know that ‘love is love’. Of course, I didn’t grow up in Russia, Africa or the Middle East. I was born in liberal Belgium, where we’ve had the right to marry since 2003 (that’s 10 years!) and where I joined an LGBT youth group at the tender age of 16. And what a difference it made to just be able to be myself among peers.

When I was 18 I had the opportunity to attend a gay camp, where LGBT youngsters from all over the country united for a few days of being completely un-judged and totally accepted. Because, as easy as it is for me to say now, so many years later, that I never experienced any problems with the fact that I’m a lesbian, I fully realise I owe this for a large part to the LGBT community I was so lucky to become a part of at such a young age. The generation before me didn’t have that luxury–many teenagers across the globe don’t have it today. And they’re the ones who fought for the rights I have today.

But, thanks to the LGBT community and its relentless fighting spirit, the world is changing. Even in Hong Kong, where I currently live (and where my marriage to my wife is not recognised), the tide seems to be changing somewhat. Last May, after a long battle in court, a transgender woman won the right to marry her boyfriend. I have nothing but gratitude for the LGBT community and what they have achieved even in my short (well, not that short) lifetime.

So, in honour of W, Edie Windsor, and everyone who has ever marched for equal rights, let’s have a giveaway! 😉

Here are the rules:

– There’s a Grand Prize Giveaway hosted by Queer Town Abbey. You can win Amazon gift cards, free e-books and more (all info here >>) To enter you’ll need the answer to the following question: Which country was I born in?

– I’m giving away a copy (e-book, any format) of Anything She Wants, Girls Only (Volume Two) and High Rise (The Complete Collection) to three lucky commenters (picked at random). To enter leave a comment below (include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you’ve won!)

– Visit The Equal Rights Blog Hop page and hop to as many blogs as you want.

– The hop ends on July 7th (11:59 pm EST), so you have four days to enter the giveaway.

Happy hopping and good luck!