Some chicks marry chicks. Get over it. – FCKH8.com

Erasing the harsh line deeply etched inside me that once severely divided my true inner self with the one I thought I was supposed to be, I’ve now become philosophically aligned in more ways than one.

This needn’t be hard to say but a lifetime of conservatism and Christian influences made me feel incredibly guilty, ashamed and ousted as a wild, sinful creature that does not belong in the socially accepted norm that is the world’s ideal and preferred sexual orientation.

Thankfully, times have dramatically changed and evolved so that those in the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community have more rights now than ever before, are in positions of power and influence, and have created more profound movements to bring about much needed awareness and education to the misinformed and uninformed.

Last month, I stopped by my alma mater with a friend of mine who is finishing up her last semester there. She took me to the Gender and Sexuality Center, visibly noticeable with its bright rainbow streamers inviting all to stop by for a visit and an entire wall painted in rainbow colors. Large flags were everywhere, proudly declaring whatever orientation people in the community wanted to proclaim. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersexual, queer, etc. All were represented. And all were welcome.

This is key: all were welcome. Even if you’re straight, you’re welcome. It doesn’t matter and it shouldn’t. But, as we are all too familiar with, it does matter. And it matters a lot.

If we were free to just love whomever our heart chooses — and no one cared what gender the other person was — simply imagine the vast freedom we can all experience. But alas, people care. People care deeply and so strongly one way or the other that they are willing to go to extreme measures to ensure their voice — and for some, inevitable harsh opinion, judgment, condemnation and hatred — is heard. And isn’t this their right? To be heard?

We all desire to be understood. To be valued. To be loved. To feel social acceptance (and even if you proudly declare yourself an unconventional person, you still desire acceptance to a slight degree; it is only human nature).

Why else are 9% of high school students gay, lesbian, bisexual or questioning and 80% of which report severe social isolation? (source)

Or that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students are 3-4 times more likely to commit suicide than straight students according to a report by the National Education Policy Center and the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law?

Or how those who were gay in a conservative town were brutally and maliciously attacked, ridiculed and even murdered? Like Brandon Teena in 1993 in Humboldt, Nebraska (real-life story made into an Academy Award winning film called Boys Don’t Cry featuring Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny) or Matthew Shepard in 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming (story made into another award-winning film called The Laramie Project featuring Nestor Carbonell, Christina Ricci, Dylan Baker, et al.).

These are just 2 large-scaled examples of the every day occurrences all over the world. Some are within the person’s own home. Some are within his or her school. Some are at one’s workplace. Wherever the needless ridicule may occur, the underlying principle is that some people do not accept those who live a different lifestyle than them. And this is severely heartbreaking and tragic beyond comprehension.

I recently saw The Laramie Project on stage. And it was incredibly powerful. Brilliantly portrayed, Matthew Shepard’s life and story demonstrated the plight and difficulty it is to be gay in a vastly non-gay society. It’s hard but it needn’t be so if we embraced change and allowed ourselves to be open to different lifestyles. Let us love the person for who they are, not necessarily shun them for their sexual orientation, gender or lifestyle preferences and choices.

I love the LGBTQ community. And though I am new to it, I still love it and am learning more and more about it every day. Yet another seemingly shocking transformation and unveiling of me that I knew existed but was too scared to reveal it … until now.