Meet Leslie Cox | Freelance writer & photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leslie Cox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leslie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am from a small town in Florida with a population of 13,000. Growing up in the South, and in the Christian tradition, meant rejecting the LBGTQ community. This message came with a bone-deep pain that impacted countless individuals myself included. At one time, I was even the voice within my church saying, that being LBGTQ meant that a person was living in sin. It’s really no surprise that I suppressed my own sexuality. For 25 years, I tried to force myself into the person my community expected from me. I became a youth leader, I kept a prayer journal for my future husband, and I prayed that I would be a good wife one day. All the while, I was lost and hurt, but couldn’t understand why. My perspective began to change in college. For the first time in my life, I truly encountered LBGTQ people. I had to work through a lot of engraved homosexuality I grew up exposed to. As cliche as it sounds, self-discovery and acceptance meant leaving my hometown. Sometimes, the only way to truly shake off the judgment surrounded you looks like leaving your community behind. So I moved to Atl. Moving to ATL is hands-down the best decision I’ve ever made. I finally found the space and community to process who I was and how I love. When I was ready to come out and start dating women, my friends fully embraced me, showered me in support, and threw me a coming-out party. Their support taught me that coming out can be a joyous celebration with dancing and free-flowing champagne, in the right spaces.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
While I have big dreams for Love Les and a big project in the works, Love Les is only a side hustle. In my spare time I work as a freelance writer and photographer. My day to day job is in foster care. I’m a resource coordinator or in words inspired by Thai Nguyen, I’m a fairy dream mother. I support my parents who are in the process of reunification with their biological kids, my foster kids themselves, and our amazing foster parents who open up their doors to kids during rocky seasons.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of my absolute best friends, Shannon, is lives in Virginia. I’ve been harassing her for years to come to visit me. If she did visit we would cram everything into one day in Atl then travel in whatever direction we felt inspired by for a week. In our day in Atl, we would wake up hella early and go to Hell Yeah Gluten Free, and load up on caffeine and sugar before heading to the Ga Aquarium. I have been dreaming about swimming with the Whale Sharks at the aquarium, Shannon would make that happen. From there, we’d be wet and soggy we would grab Golda Kombucha and head on over to Little Tart bakery for a snack. For lunch, we would go to Arepa Mia and eat our hearts on delicious arepas. Fueled by carbs we would spend the rest of the day chasing Atl street art, exploring Krog Market, taking too many photos, doing all the touristy things like the Ferris Wheel. If we started to feel tired we would grab My Fair Milk Shakes then tea from Tipple + Rose or Dancing Goats. We would plan her visit according to the lantern festival naturally, so we would end the day there and get drinks and dinner and Bettle Cat. From there I would show her all of my favorite places and reenact memorable moments like the time I fell down the Decatur Square Steps on a date. Realistically we would sleep for maybe 5 hours before road-tripping for bagels, lighthouses, and beaches. Then again, we’d probably think it over and decide we couldn’t possibly eat that much in one day and spend another day or two in Atl.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m a HUGE proponent of Shine Theory. The idea behind Shine theory is, “I don’t shine if you don’t shine.” -Aminatuo Sow & Ann Friedman. In practice, this means celebrating everyone’s shared success over individual success. Love Les, is truly an example of shared success. I work alongside 4 beautifully creative and affirming women who have helped me dream up Love Les. From day 1 Love Les has been a collaborative process. My inspiration is a direct result of my incredibly creative community. The blog’s name was a result of a friend and I volleying names back and forth while washing dishes. The logo itself was the production of my favorite graphic designer Lewp Studio and myself playing around with a napkin and my lipstick stain. The idea of publishing anonymous interviews started as a conversation with a dear friend who was closeted. To my team, you are my absolute favorites and the heart behind Love Les.

Website: www.loveles.co
Instagram: lovelesco
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-cox-752a36153/
Twitter: @loveles_loveles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Love-Les-252504221851644
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DDjHs5Dbm4&feature=emb_title

Image Credits
All property of Leslie Cox/ Love Les