LoveMe is a series featuring LGBTQ thought leaders reading personal letters to their younger selves.

Allison Michael Orenstein and Simone St. Laurent are a queer married couple based in NYC. St. Laurent is a successful hair stylist. Orenstein is a portrait photographer, whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Esquire, BlackBook, New York magazine, Vogue, Elle, Interview, and more.

Watch as Simone asks her teenage self to give up on the self-loathing and allow personal love to grow with time. Allison tells her "little AO" that she is magic, and that everything she needs is already inside of her. Together, they express that one day same-sex marriage will be legal, shame will cease, and happiness will be found within their partnership.