So you thought you knew
The real facts on LGBT Bullying
As a young child I knew I was different. I didn't idolize the opposite sex. I didn't need to have a boyfriend like my sister. I just wanted to be me. In 9th grade my elder sister told me to date her friend, so I did, and it was horrible. I found that was not the life I wanted. Two years later I met this girl who changed my life.
I found I was in love, with a girl. So a lesbian, correct? No. I am a pan romantic. I love the mind behind the body. The heart. Others however, did not share my views. In high school I was ridiculed and abandoned. I felt alone. My world was continuously dark. Yet I survived. Now in college I have survived what I thought would kill me. Who I am today was made back then. I wish to help those who have felt like me.
Those who don't have anyone to talk to, I will be there. Depression is not the answer. And the bullying will stop, if you stay strong. There is no one on this earth that you must please, except yourself.
My story
There are thousands, millions of us who care because we've been there, we know what it feels like. Will the people I love accept me, understand me, and love me, if I tell them I'm gay? Can I love and accept myself, when I know this about me? These are not easy questions. Some people won't accept it, but a lot will. Sometimes, we're quiet. Other times, we're outspoken. We're right here. So remember there are people who will be your friends.
The world is a hard place to live in. We're all different and learning. There are so many different places to go to be yourself, to find help, and love. If you just remember, it gets better. It really will, and you should be alive to see it.
So why now?
The biggest bully that frightens LGBT children? Telling their friends, and family. The fear of losing those closest drives many to stay quiet about their sexuality. Many not coming out until way into their life, often after they were married and with children.
The real fear
- In 2006 a report by the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce and the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that between 20–40% of all homeless youth in the United States identify as LGBT. These numbers are because homelessness arises because of family issues, often a result of ones sexual orientation being brought into question.
- In 2007, 57% of all Americans said they found homosexuality to be an acceptable lifestyle compared with 50% in 1998 and just 34% in 1982.
- In a study that GLSEN did in 2005, 37.8% of LGBT high school students had experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation and 26.1% on the basis of their gender expression.
- As well as 17.6% of LGBT high school students had been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation and 11.8% because of their gender expression.
The truth of it all
But they chose their orientation, right?
WRONG.
- Most medical professionals, including organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Psychological Association (APA), believe that sexual orientation involves a complex mixture of biology, psychology, and environmental factors. A person's genes and inborn hormonal factors may play a role as well. These medical professionals believe that — in most cases — sexual orientation, whatever its causes, is not simply chosen. Sexual orientation is as fluid and changing as the water in the sea.
Why?
How many times a day do you have to think about breathing? How many times a day do you have to tell yourself to put the pills away, to set down the blade?
For many teens today this is their life.
Images from post secret, video by: DarkGlitt3r on youtube