The Persepective of A Tween

Jan 21st, 2011 03:06 PM By Gabrielle

My name is Gabrielle, I live in Nashville, TN, and I am straight. I’ve in the 7th grade, and I’m 12 years of age. I stand for gay/lesbian/transgendered/bisexual equality. Kids at my school are harsh to my gay friend, and other adults I know are ignorant as well. Every time I hear of a hate crime, how most of our states won’t allow gay marriage, how gay people “burn in hell”, or suicide from discrimination, I am deeply saddened and just want to go into my room and cry. But I know I can’t; I have to do something, and this website is the only way I know how to for now. Thank you all for giving a damn. I do, too.

Being a Younger Adult

Jan 11th, 2011 11:50 AM By Michael

I’m a 21 year old gay male from Arkansas, yes Arkansas of all places. It was really hell growing up here with all the hate that I got growing up. I came out at a really young age, I think I told my mother when I was 14. My mother and other family members took it really well. The outsiders is who didn’t really take it well. So being who I am I slowly started slowing down on going out and making friends or anything because around here there really isn’t any gay, lesbian or bisexual or even transgender unless they are in the closet and hide it very very well.

I have been called so many different names, I have had one person rape me and scream if I wanted to be a woman he was going to treat me like a woman… I have been beaten a few times by a couple straight guys because I was gay and that’s how they feel about gay people. I have also started standing up for myself CAUSE WE CAN FIGHT BACK!!! Just because we are gay, bi lesbian or trans doesn’t mean we don’t know how to fight back!
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My Recent Experience as a Victim of a Hate Crime

Jan 03rd, 2011 04:15 PM By james Smith

My name is James. I am a gay, black male. On December 5, 2010, I was attacked at a bar by a complete stranger! This has been the worst chapter in my journey. As a result of the attack, my right humerus was broken at the surgical neck. The incident occurred at a bar in the city’s largest entertainment district. The district’s name is Power and Light. It is common knowledge to residents of our area, the district has experienced many problems with issues of discrimination. I work across the street from the district, and never experienced any problems until this.

The attack occurred inside the bar. It was after a huge football game for our local team. At a certain point, this really drunk guy starting yelling and calling me names! Not one of the bouncers or servers asked him to leave. The whole thing happened very quickly. One minute he was calling me “Faggot”, the next minute I was being attacked. As he tried to hit me in the face, he lost his footing and fell on top of me in the process. As a result of his weight and mine, my humerus immediately broke. I could feel the bar start, almost instantly! At that point, the wait staff helped Him up and asked him to leave.
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Just Me, Just Like You and Everyone Else

Dec 29th, 2010 11:53 PM By Brianna

I Give a Damn… As a 49 year old transwoman whose boyfriend is also transgender. As someone who is treated as a second-class citizen, simply because of who I am. As someone who could lose her job at any time for no reason other than because of who I am. As someone who, everyday, faces the very real possibility that today could be the day that I could be beaten or killed, simply because of who I am. As someone who faces discrimination at every turn, simply because of who I am. As someone who has lived on both sides of the gender spectrum, hiding my true self for 42 years. As someone who has faced suicide as a viable alternative to revealing my true self. I am Mom to an amazing 13 yr old son, a daughter, a girlfriend, a co-worker, a favorite cousin…

I am many things, but most of all I AM JUST ME and I am tired of being treated differently, simply because of who I am. I am a SURVIVOR (and proud of it) and I GIVE A DAMN!!!

Why

Dec 29th, 2010 09:19 PM By Johnathan

To understand my motivations you must know something of me. A little taste of who it is I am as a person and what it is that would compel me to make such a irrevocable statement not just to a church but God himself. You see when the time for us to stand and make a difference comes, we have little control over the where and when of it all. We do what is right. We do it when it needs to be done, and we hope that our message does not fall upon deaf ears.

First I am a man, then a father, a brother, a son, and hopefully a good friend?

As a child…

As a child I lived a somewhat normal life in a rather large family not unlike many of you. I was always different and to be honest, I was always told how different I was by those around me. I don’t recall many days as a kid that had gone by when I was not told I was gay by my brothers or sister. But we were just kids right? I forgive them for this and hold no ill towards them now for their actions while we were young. My father however found in me, a perfect victim. One his insecure mind could wrap around and torment to no end. I guess my walk or my talk was off just enough to meet the fancy of his sometimes horrific ways. You see I have always known I was gay, after all I had been told so since as far back as I can even remember. Little did they know how spot on they were while they jokingly tore my world apart.
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Lost Friends

Dec 29th, 2010 07:11 PM By Bryan

When I was in high school, I was on the football team and my “jock buddies” and I used to go to the gay bars on Friday and Saturday nights to harass homosexuals. Sometimes I would act like a stereotypical gay man, with the limp wrist and effeminate voice, just to make my friends laugh. They thought it was so funny. To get an even bigger laugh, we started going to Angles (the most popular gay bar in Oklahoma City) to see if I could actually pick someone up. But, I was actually being used as bait and we all had something more sinister in mind. I would catch somebody as they were walking out of the club and lure them toward the side of the building where my friends were waiting in the bushes. Though we threatened to beat our victims up, all we really did was give them a hard time and scare the hell out of them. That was our idea of fun.

Twelve years later, I was thirty-years-old, working in my father’s construction company, and still hanging out with three of my old buddies on the weekends. Ironically, we started going to Angles again, but not to harass gay men. We were there for the drugs, after we were told that that was the place to get them. Ecstasy was what we were looking for and we found plenty of it there in the summer of 1994. Before I knew it, I was going to Angles and the gay after-parties almost every night and taking Ecstasy whenever I could get it. That is how I met Tony, a thirty-two-year-old, African American gay man with a perfect body and a beautiful face.
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Um

Dec 24th, 2010 03:13 PM By Angel

Um, I’ve never told many people this story, only two of my close friends and family knows this story, but when I was 13 in high school I was a perfect student, had good grades and was active in almost everything. Well, one day that all changed for me when three guys who I thought were my friends brutally beat me down in our gym locker room and one of the guys, I will never forget his face or name, took a mop handle and pulled down my pants and shoved it right up my backside.

I passed out, when I woke up my mother was standing over me crying. I’ve never seen her cry before, but I knew something was wrong because I could hear a beeping noise right next to me and it let me know that I was in the hospital and had been for three weeks. My mother thought I was never going to wake up and then when I did she started crying and I also noticed her friend was there too. But, anyway to shorten the story the boys got off with 500 hours community service and I was stuck with a scar for the rest of my life.

Cops are the Worst

Dec 24th, 2010 03:02 PM By Edward

I am Edward, I am a 22 year old gay man in Ohio and I have a story for ya, I moved to the city I am in now with my family when I was 15. I liked it very much, kinda a country area with very friendly people all over the place. it wasn’t till I moved out on my own at 18 that I found out about the dark side of this City. I moved into a kinda rundown looking apartment complex in town, my family lived about a mile away so I felt like I was JUST FAR ENOUGH to not hit my ass to hard when I fell on it lol. About 3 weeks into my new life I had an issue with some people in the building, now I am a quiet guy not into the party scene and I don’t drink, so imagine my surprise when 2 police officers showed up at my door saying that they had gotten a call regarding loud music coming from my apt.

When I opened the door the officer just stepped in like he owned the joint so I asked him to please step back into the hall until I invited him in (no reason but I know my rights and was not about to let them start violating them) he got attitude and asked me if I had something to hide and started looking around the room. I told him that I just wanted my rights respected and that if he would please step back I would really appreciate it.
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2011

Dec 24th, 2010 02:47 PM By Jill

Dream of the things you dream of most,
Not money, not fame, not possessions, not lust,
But if you let yourself truly see,
What is that vision, what would it be?

Would you envision fairness for all?
Would you, brick by brick, help tear down the wall
Of hatred, despair, judgment and fear?
Do you believe it could happen this year?

Is it time to anticipate something new?
To truly believe, to plan what to do?
To know for this life, there’s something more,
To step through a freshly painted door?

Would you pray for the end of hate,
And believe that war is out of date?
Would you accept and give love to those different than you?
Can you peel off the labels, not believe they are true?

This year is the year to change the world.
To love all kinds of love, boy and boy, girl and girl.
We end the fear of love non-traditional,
This is the year of love unconditional.

Just Love

Dec 22nd, 2010 02:05 AM By Rita

I FEEL VERY SIMPLY, BUT STRONGLY, THAT PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE AND WE ALL NEED LOVE WHEREVER YOU FIND IT. I DESPISE HATE CRIMES……PERIOD! I love my gay and lesbian friends!