When Will it End?

Homosexuals have to endure torment and harassment due to who they are attracted to and love. In the past couple of years we have seen more and more bullying aimed at teenagers who are gay. They are relentlessly tormented by their classmates and with technology they are not safe when they get home. The bullying is endless. Cyber bullying is a serious problem today. How would you feel if you were constantly being attacked and didn’t have a safe place to go? For many, it is all too much to bear and they end up taking their own lives. The hate and discrimination towards the LGBT community has caused far too much pain. It has taken countless lives of young individuals who had so much to offer. At a Trevor Project event to raise awareness to youth suicide and suicide prevention Laurie Ann Gibson choreographed a dance to embody a young person going through this trying to be heard. She introduced the piece saying, “Tonight it’s about saving young lives. Yesterday or the day before, someone was confused about their sexuality, and in their confusion they decided that the only option was to take their life. Because I’m not who you think I should be and because I don’t do what you think I should do, that I’m not worth living. That’s a crime. How dare we not love each other unconditionally?” This is such a beautiful, powerful statement. It really hits me and seeing the dance takes it to another level. What we need to remember is just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t make it wrong. I think people who discriminate against this community forget how much we have in common. We all feel the same things. We all feel sadness, happiness, love and anger. We all go through struggles and have to overcome obstacles. Who you love should not have to be an additional struggle you have to face. It’s a part of who you are. If you are lucky enough to find happiness and love in someone, hold on to it, it is so rare and it shouldn’t matter who it’s with.    We need to work on seeing past the labels and really getting to know each other. This hate has caused so many deaths. It has shown up in countless headlines. What is finally going to be enough?