I remember my first sting of prejudice. It was innocent enough, a third grade conversation asking my best friend if she liked a certain boy. “Oh no”, she replied, “He’s Catholic and Italian”. Hmm, I’m Catholic and Italian. And so it began, the recognition that you are different.
That was my introduction to human ignorance, not enough to rattle my self worth but enough to know that good people hold foolish beliefs.
A few years later that momentary sting of exclusion became a lifetime of caution and hiding as I reckoned with my reality of not being heterosexual.
I’m a survivor. And its true, what doesn’t kill you does make you stronger, but the current hatred of people who are different is no longer something I care to witness. Not simply for myself, but for the youth and for those yet to come who find themselves in an intolerant world full of prejudice and judgment.
Not everyone can take the beatings this society handily dishes out and no one should. If your faith doesn’t permit you to be anything other than hetero, so be it. Enjoy your missionary pose, but leave the rest of us alone.
Carl Nassib is the first active NFL player to come out as being Gay. His eloquent statement was powerful and I agree with him, there should be no need for these announcements, but unless and until we are given due respect, Pride Month will never end for people like us.
It is time to out-Christian the Christians – or any other members of faith that hide their hatred behind the name of God.
Like it or not evolution is afoot, and we will not be silenced and we’re not going away.
let kindness win 
I won’t say that they are all out. But here in Florida we had a significant number of students in our middle school who wore Rainbow Flags, full size, around their shoulders and were holding hands. It was a joy to see some who felt so free.
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You know Nick, it is one thing to come out…it is another to be accepted. Thank you for being an ally. Gay teens are easy targets for suicide…the hatred need to end.
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Of course you’re not going away because you are incredible as you are. What needs to go away is the racism, prejudice, homophobia that is so ugly and mean. If a religion is not comprised of unconditional love or acceptance then it serves no good in my opinion.
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Thank you. And yes, I agree.
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