 I'd like to dedicate this reading to Anthony Dream Johnson for so much of his empowerment for other men, directly what he has been able to provide for me, the attendees and the men and the speakers who show up to the convention year after year. I have been absolutely embedded by their presence, by their masculinity, and more importantly by their example. I would also like to thank very, very deeply to the lovely Mary Frances, my partner, who not only sued my fears but proved to be the answer to my dreams and ambitions and to be the mother of my child. And lastly, this is to Elizabeth Grace. My red hat. Hi, my name is Piper. My hat, my red hat is a story about good behavior and having a choice, deciding the right way to use your voice. When I wear my red hat, it makes me smile. My dad has a red hat. His friends had red hats too. I like to wear my red hat. My dad gave it to me. We wear our red hats together. We wear our red hats at home. We wear our red hats at the park. We wear our red hats at the store. When we see another red hat, we always hold the door. We wear our red hats inside the mart. We walk the rows and load the cart. Pushing the cart is always my favorite part. This day was different. Little did we know trouble was about to start. She watched from far away. She watched without a smile. She did not like our hats. She did not like our style. Red hats in public? No, no, no. Was she talking about us? She walked closer. Was there something she wanted to discuss? I don't like red hats. Take them off, I say. Take them off and don't delay. Poof. With those words, a bubble was revealed. A crowd gathered. The bubble could not be concealed. Trapped in her bubble, she stood tall. She spoke proudly. I don't like you. The bubble glowed more when she said it again. I don't like you. She was loud. She was mean. She yelled and she yelled. Then she opened her phone screen. She yelled. No red hats allowed. No red hats ever. I'll take this photo of you. It will live on the internet forever. Dad started to speak. Enough is enough. We see your phone. You want us to snap. We won't behave badly. We won't fall into your trap. Why was she taking a photo? Why was she trying to shame? Why was she posting them online seeking attention and internet fame? I get it. This is a bully. A bully with bad behavior on display. This is a bully. No kid or adult should behave this way. My dad grabbed my hand. He told me it was okay. He tipped his hat to the bully and said, we're just walking away. The bully looked stunned. The bully had nothing to say. There are no excuses to be a bully, dad said. No matter what they claim. When a bully gets stuck in a bubble, they only have themselves to blame. You behaved so well. That bully had nothing to tweet. Let's load the car and celebrate with a special treat. A bully is a bully, my dad said. Believe me fully. Stand with a buddy. Act smart. Know what to say. Tell a bully to stop. Don't fight. Then walk away. Some bullies are loud. Others may call and you a name. Some want to fight. No two bullies are the same. Remember this. When you see a bully, take a deep breath. Maintain your frame. You were brave today. You were ready for a special treat. Let's unlock this door and unbuckle your seat. We talked and we talked. We talked about our day. We walked and we walked. The treat was a few steps away. There it is. What a great party. What a great find. It was a place to have fun. A place to unwind. I can wear my red hat. Others are like me. I feel safe and I feel free. We all wore red hats. It was a wonderful day. We laughed and we ate and we shared an afternoon of play. I wore my red hat home. I wore it all that night. I wore my hat the next day. I wore it with delight. We learned a lot today. This was not the first time I saw a bubble. It would not be my last. The lessons I learned about bubbles make me strong, make me smart, help me to think fast. We learned that being in a bubble is a choice. We learned that you can get stuck in a bubble with actions of your choice. Did you see a bubble today? Hopefully no one saw a bubble around you. If you saw a bubble, when? Where? Who? If you saw a bubble, what did you do?