The Chronicles of a Life Worth Living

This is a monologue I wrote for a candlelight vigil my school is having tonight. It’s in response to suicides and what not. Please don’t kill yourself - talk to someone.

I like to go outside at night. There’s a special time where the stars congregate for the ritualistic consecration of the night sky. All the galaxies come together. In that brief time you can everything. Every galaxy that ever was, or is, or will be. It’s breathtaking.

There are some people who say each of those galaxies contain an entirely different world. An infinite amount of worlds with an infinite amount of lives and possibilities.

Today, I heard a child crying. I looked over and saw his mother pick him up and hold him close, “Shh. Shh. Shh.” He stopped crying. He knew everything would be okay. I wondered if there was a world out there somewhere where someone still held me close and comfort me - because I miss that. Now people don’t want to touch me - like I’m sick. They don’t want to talk me, or even come near me.

The time is almost over. The stars are soon about to disperse to their respective galaxies. The beauty is about to be gone. I want you to come out here, though - whenever you can. And search for the star where my life is happy. Find the star where I have joy - because I can’t. I’ve looked and looked and all I see is me…here.

That’s a nice thought, though. That somewhere amidst infinity - I’m having a good time.

This is a video I am proud to have been part of. The editing finally finished and it turned out great! I’m glad!

A message everyone should hear. I am human - I am fighting for love.

‘Ally Week’ is Dedicated to Supporters of the LGBT Community. Thank you.

Last week I wrote about ‘National Coming Out’ day and this week is Ally Week. It is a time when we recognize that we have people supporting us, helping us; we recognize that people are there for us and with us. I neglected to discuss allies in my last piece. Not because I forgot or just dismissed them. See, allies are so necessary, integral, and beautiful that I felt I needed to write something entirely dedicated to them – after all, they have an entire week set apart to recognizing their support.

Now, when someone comes out, people have to search within themselves, sift through their beliefs, sort through their education, maybe even strip away some of their learned behavior to decide whether or not they will come out in support. In many ways, I feel this process is even more difficult than coming out.

For years, celebrities have not only come out as gay but have come out in support. One of my favorite comedians, Kathy Griffin, has long since held to her ideals of providing support for the LGBT community. She marches in parades, speaks at events, mentions it on her shows and specials – for her, it’s not something that should be on the back burner. For her, it is necessary now. And that is what this week is about.

Ally Week is meant to show that the LGBT community supports those that support them. It’s meant to convey a sense of thankfulness that other people are aiding our souls, rather than deteriorating and diminishing our spirit. The comfort that can be given with a simple, “I accept you,” is almost unimaginable. And that is why this week is so important. Allies give so much to the LGBT community that it is just a short, simple idea to thank them. Thank them for everything they do, for supporting, for aiding, for building up the spirit of those that have long since been torn down time and time again.

Whenever derogatory words are spat at people in the cafeteria, whenever a high school kid walks out to find his locker defamed with words of hatred, whenever two people are arrested for trying to create a life together, allies are there to help; to provide words of comfort and a place to sit in a cafeteria, to provide a helping hand in cleaning a locker and a heart, to offer support for a couple attempting to build a family.

This week exists to thank those individuals. They do not have to take any of the detestable actions, they do not have to hear the words – they can choose to walk by, to be deaf. Instead, though, they choose to listen, to fight, to rally, to support, to be involved. It is remarkable, to me, that allies, time and time again, come out in support – when it is so much more difficult.

I think it’s time we recognize the LGBT community not just as those individuals who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered but as the community of individuals who choose to take a stand against defamation. I think the time has come to recognize what they do. I think it is now more imperative than ever to recognize allies as not only members of the LGBT community but as the livelihood.

It doesn’t take much to say ‘Thank you.’ It’s only two words. Those words hardly compare to all the fighting Allies do. Those words, though, are the only thing that can be said. So, thank you, Allies for being there; for allowing us to come to you when we are troubled or in pain. Thank you for giving us a place to sit, an extra rag to clean off the marker and ultimately a helping hand to pull us from the deepest pit of despair.

This week is Ally Week. And it is meant to serve as a reminder that no one can face life alone. It is meant to remind us to say thank you – as often and blatantly as possible.

NCOD is A Day To Be Normal. A column I wrote that was published in my school paper. Enjoy!

Today is National Coming Out Day. It is a day that is meant to symbolize a growing tolerance and awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity. Although this day was founded over 20 years ago, there is still a stigma towards what it tries to accomplish.

As humans we want to be happy with ourselves. We want to live our lives how we want – but we often forget that this world has so much diversity. We forget that not everyone is like us. That is exactly what today is meant to demonstrate.

I think it is preposterous that homosexuals have to ‘come out.’ I think it’s ridiculous that they have to deal with it – that it’s not just accepted like it has been in other cultures. However, I will say that the process is strengthening. Sometimes people feel dejected in the midst of it, but as they work through it, they become stronger people. They find more clarity about who they are, what they are, what they want, and especially how to pick themselves up, be happy and smile in life.

Coming out is very personal. There is no easy cut and dry formula. There is no checklist for you to go by and nothing to outline the journey that is before you. Commonly, though, it consists of three major components.

First one must come out to themselves – to be able to speak the words is scary in the beginning, then kind of exciting. To be able to smile at yourself in the mirror, after years of trying to not even look, is freeing.

After that, people have to come out to friends and family. This is where people generally get hung up and frightened more than anything. The more you care about someone the more difficult it is to come out to them. Their opinion about you means so much that it would be better not to risk the chance of something bad happening. Over time, though, as you gain confidence in yourself, you start to be able to share the news with other people. You become excited to tell the world who you are, and you’re happy to be that way.

That is the third step – living; walking around with the confidence of knowing who you are and being happy about your life, trusting that even if you have a bad day, you’ll still be alive tomorrow.

In today’s society there is growing tolerance and acceptance towards sexual diversity – equally, though, there is growing prejudice and hate. Homosexuality has always been present on this planet, in every culture that exists or has ever existed. There are 400 something animal species that exhibit homosexual tendencies, but only one exhibits homophobia. To say that today is a new day, where people can openly and freely distinguish themselves as who they are, would not be entirely truthful. Certainly, there is a greater ability to do so than there has been before, but we’re not completely there yet.

Today is a day to remember who you are. I don’t care if you are homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, transgendered or anything else. Remember who you are, know who you are; operate with a sense that you are that, other people may or may not be, but trust that they know who they are. Celebrate in the diversity of the world today.

Don’t limit the lives of people to be behind closed doors – on either side of the spectrum. Don’t require someone to fit into a particular category because your brain prefers either/or. Don’t intimidate people to behaving, acting, and believing the exact same thing as you, because there is just no way you could be wrong.

Today is a day for people in the homosexual community to ‘come out.’ It is a day for them to stop hiding themselves behind a wall. It is a day for them to step forward and actively take part in their lives. To abolish the closet that has surrounded them and to obtain a sense of power within themselves that they can do it; that they can carry on, that they can – and will – be happy.

On a larger part, though, today is a day to build a community; a system of individuals who take pride in what makes them different.  It is a day to smile at someone; it is a day to laugh, to joke. Today is not a day to feel inferior or inadequate. Today is not a day to have a sense of fear or worry. Today is not a day to be pressured. No, not today. Today is a day to come out as yourself – whoever that may be.

Today is a day to be normal.

“It’s so hard” he moaned, “I hate this theme - It’s so hard to navigate!”

Am I the only person who gently smiles every time I see a picture of two guys sweetly kissing? Or holding hands in the park? Or laying down and cuddling?

"I am for gay marriage because I really want to marry my dog. If gays can get married, the next step would be me and Snuggles!"

Said no one, ever!

If chick-fil-a really hates gays, maybe they should stop making their sauce out of semen. I mean, that’s they only logical conclusion of why it tastes so good.

"I am for gay marriage because I want to marry my dog. And if gays can get married, the next step will be me and Snuggles!"

Said no one, ever.

Little known fact: the phrase, “two heads are better than one” is actually a reference to gay sex.