Why I'm Proud (A Pride Month Rant)

For those of you who don't know I came out at the age of sixteen.  I don't remember the date but I specifically remember the day (or rather the evening) I first told one of my friends.  It was one of the scariest, most intimidating things I've ever done.  An experience that many of my fellow queer friends have gone through and something a lot of my straight friends can't even begin to imagine.  I'm not intending to sound grandiose or elitist I just think it's simple fact.  Unless you've gone through the "coming-out" experience you'll never understand what it's like to emotionally expose yourself in that way.  

So because I came out so early in high school (and because I was lucky enough to go to a pretty accepting school) I had an easier time than many coming to terms with things.  There was a Pride group which I joined and later became more or less in charge of.  It was a safe space for me to socialize with youth my age without that weird, awkward feeling of judgement I was so used to.  A feeling I'm sure many people can sympathize with if you were one of the awkward, not-so-popular kids.  I got so comfortable in fact that in grade 10 (or 11 I can't remember exactly) I gave a speech in front of most of my school explaining what it was like growing up gay in our private school system.  I remember explaining my experience, with the hopes that if I could make life easier for just one other person by speaking up.  I could graduate happy.  

That's a mantra I've always kept close to my heart.   

If I can make the life of a younger LGBTQ2 person easier by paving whatever way forward I can, then I will.  

What really frustrates me is when other queer people claim to be outside the  LGBTQ2 community.  That they've never felt specifically included because they haven't experienced the discrimination or neglect that others have.  To that my response is to think about what's happened in Orlando.  You don't have to have been shot to feel the pain of those families and to understand the motivation behind the attack.  I can't remember the exact quote but it's something along the lines of "if you are silent in moments of oppression then you have sided with the oppressor."  If you can leave the world, our community, a safer more inclusive place by speaking out, then why stay silent.  

The true tragedy is that so many people had to die for the world to start this conversation.

G-