My Family Gave a Damn

Aug 01st, 2011 04:07 PM By Fareed

Growing up I was taught that being gay was wrong, that it was a sin and that I wouldn’t be accepted no matter what. I grew up knowing that no matter how hard I tried I wouldn’t fit in to the “normal” Muslim family. I had thoughts of suicide, even attempted it once or twice, but thankfully I didn’t succeed.

I came out to my mother 3 years ago not knowing what to expect, all I knew was that I just couldn’t keep living this double life and lying to the people I care about. I told my mom everything about how I knew that I was gay and about the suicide attempts all because of my self doubt and self hatred. She burst into tears, she grabbed me and took me in her arms and all she managed to say between the sobs and tears was that no matter what and who I love, I am her son and she loves me no matter what and that she will always be there for me.

A lot has changed since then, my mom’s attitude towards homosexuality has completely changed, she asks questions and I answer as truthfully as I can, she accepts who I am and she stands up for me to the family, she told them that if they can’t accept me for who I am then they can’t accept her for being my mother.

I’m writing this because I just want people reading this to know that being gay does not make you less of a person nor does it make you some evil creature born from the pits of hell. Being gay is not a choice that one makes, you are born gay!

This is a letter of hope for the LGBT community out there, there is hope, there are people who care and there are people fighting the battle for EQUALITY. It really does get better…

Take it from me, a young Muslim guy from South Africa who gives a DAMN

Gay Matters!

Jun 29th, 2011 05:36 PM By Lauren

I was compelled to stay in the closet until I was 18 because I went to Catholic school my entire life. In high school, I fell in love for the first time. We were forced to keep our relationship secret because the school priest had full jurisdiction over school matters and could easily expel us. We were inseparable… eating lunch together, texting during class, even sneaking flowers into each other’s lockers. I was slowly accepting the fact that I was a lesbian, and tried to reject all of the negative attributes associated with “gays.”

She was the only person that could make my stomach tingle just by looking at me from across the room, the only person who didn’t judge me, the only other person who I could be myself around. Cliche, yes… but I knew damn well that she loved me. And I loved her just as much. Our relationship was so emotionally charged, and I had never felt that with any male that I had dated.
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Christianity Can Be About Love…

Jun 29th, 2011 05:26 PM By Ally

Christianity is about love, and should be. That’s why I Give a Damn.

A few years ago, in high school, it came to my attention that Christianity was being used to promote hate. It’s strange, now that I think of it, that I hadn’t realized this before. But I guess that’s the wonder of being raised by a gay minister. My mom took me to a gay church for many years, and I associated my faith with love, joy, and bright colors (rainbows rock)!

At first I was angry, and my response was very akin to the conservative reaction on finding someone with a differing view. “Have they read the bible? I don’t recall Jesus saying ‘love everyone *except* homosexuals.’” But later I studied the bible more closely, I wanted to know what passages could possibly say something so bad that people would outright hate such wonderful people as my mom.

I picked up a bible I had been given at 13 for my confirmation into my church, one with additional text to provide interpretation and guidance. And for Romans 1:26-27 it advised that if you had homosexual feelings, you had to deny them and should talk to your pastor, get help. I was angry. How could my bible say that, I wondered. I remember my mom finding me, lost in angry thought. I pointed to the bible and said “I need a new bible.”
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My Equality

Jun 27th, 2011 04:05 PM By Olivia

My story starts in a small town in Mississippi. I was 1 of 2 openly gay youths in my high school. Open only at school, though, as my home life did not allow my sexuality. I was made to go to church 4 times a week in the hopes of saving my soul. I was sent to Christian counseling to “pray my gay away”. It didn’t work. I eventually ended up serving a 5 month sentence in the county jail for my lesbian relationship.

People wonder how something like that could happen in the year 2000, but many places in America are still living in the dark ages. And local law enforcement (especially on the county level) can do whatever they want to with no point of accountability. Now I have moved away and am a freedom-fighter with GetEQUAL. I am sick of being a second-class citizen but having to pay the same taxes as everyone else.

I’m sick of living in fear of being fired everyday because of my sexual orientation and having no protection. And I just want to settle down and marry the woman I love, have a kid and live a normal life. But I am denied that. I just want to live and am told everyday that I can’t. Well, It’s time to change that. It’s time for everyone else who is fed up to stand up, band together, and declare that we will no longer stand for this treatment. I’m an American and I demand to be treated as such. Who’s willing to stand up with me?

Young and Proud

Apr 19th, 2011 03:54 PM By Jacob

I consider myself to have no orientation, I just love people for who they’re, in a way I have no named sexuality, I see people for people.

I believe that being a homosexual,bisexual, or whatever I am is not a sin! God loves us, oh and he didn’t write the Bible! He may have inspired, it but he most definitely didn’t write it!

Our church doesn’t try to make us hate people like us, they just say it’s wrong and against “god’s plan”. Who knew they died, went to heaven, and came back alive.

Alone

Apr 19th, 2011 03:53 PM By Cassie

Hi, my name is Cassie. After months and months of telling myself that I was straight, that I was normal and who everyone wanted me to be, I finally admitted to myself that I was bisexual in 8th grade.

Nobody knew who I really was because I was afraid. My best friend talked about gay people like they were people from a different planet and didn’t deserve love, as if they chose to be that way instead of just turning out that way. All the people in my school were always hating on gay people and there was no way I could come out without my life being ruined. I felt alone and and because I couldn’t be myself, I was depressed and unhappy with my life.

It all started with cutting and burning myself and it all ended up with me trying to commit suicide. Just before I was about to jump, God spoke to me and let me know I wasn’t alone.

Still, nobody knows about my sexuality, but I feel better about myself and who I am. This site has also helped me and I’m glad that there are people out there who give a damn!

LGBT in South America

Apr 08th, 2011 05:45 PM By Angie

I’m from Colombia, a South American country. Here you don’t hear much about protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. You always have to hide from everybody because the church says it’s a sin.

I’m 27 and some members of my family don’t know I’m gay, I don’t want to be rejected. I wish we have here organizations like you who want to protect our rights.

What God Thinks

Mar 23rd, 2011 01:00 AM By Tedra

I’m a bisexual teen and currently go to church every Saturday (yes, Saturday) with my mother who is a Seventh-Day Adventist. In church, they teach us that God thinks that gays are an abomination, and the teens in my church are brought up to hate homosexuals, bisexuals, transgenders, etc, when the main goal of being a Christian is to be like Christ who loves everyone.

In their defense I have seen, with my own two eyes, Bible verses backing up such. I have also, however, seen Bible verses saying that lying is an abomination. I know many straight people lie day-to-day, even the pastor. Now I think this, why is one worse than the other for humans if they are seen equally in God’s eyes? The church has pushed me to fight on my own and find my own truth to the matter. In my search, I will keep this in mind: God loves me. No matter who I am. He loves you too, no matter who you are.

Gay Born into Christianity

Mar 23rd, 2011 12:46 AM By Crystal

As much as I want to remain the Christian that my mom and grandparents always raised me to be, I just can’t. Not if it means I won’t be accepted for who I am.

I’m gay. I am a lesbian. I didn’t choose to be gay, because no one ever does. My only problem is that I come from a family of mostly homophobic Christians. The only ones I know of that are accepting of me are my brother and my Dad, both of which are bisexual.

I really do believe in God, but I only pray in great times of need. I usually pray crying because I’m so devastated from the situation. But I don’t think praying can get my family’s acceptance. Not even God can control someone’s opinion or free will. If that was the case, there’d be a lot less crime and disasters in this world.

My mom claims that she failed as a parent because I’m gay. She’s wrong. She didn’t fail because I’m gay, she failed because she doesn’t accept me for who I am.

I just hope that someday I’ll be able to find my soulmate. I know she’s out there, I just have to find her. I hope I will get married to her someday, even if we have to go to Canada or another gay-accepting country to do so. But one thing I can be sure of is that my dad will be proud to walk me down the isle when/if I do get married. I only hope that by that time, my mom will have learned to accept me for who I am and who I love.

Kids are Mean…

Mar 15th, 2011 12:41 PM By Alexandria

At my school there are gays, lesbians, and (such as myself) bisexuals. And we are made fun of and looked down upon. It’s even worse because we live in the south and it seems like here more than anywhere people hate us. People so often tell me that God doesn’t love me, and that I’m going to hell.

After a while I just stopped believing in God at all. We cannot help the way we are born and the kids at my school try to change that. I get dirty looks from several kids all the time. Now I won’t even hold a girl’s hand because of the fear of people giving me mean looks or saying hateful things. I just want to know that there are others out there that are going through the same thing I am, so I can have others to talk to.