It Must Be Done, We Are Sick of This!

Oct 08th, 2010 11:10 PM By Adel

I am Adel, 21 years old and living in Jordan in the Middle East.

All my life I’ve been hated, kicked out of home several times, because I am gay. My dad found out I am gay when I was 17 and ever since he has never had any mercy on me. I live in a Muslim world, where they still believe being a gay person is against god’s law!

IT’S NOT PEOPLE, JUST GET OVER IT.

I am working on my own, I have worked since I was 18. My dad stopped spending on me. I saved money for university so I can study, get a degree and go to a place where being gay is something acceptable, where people do not hate you and take you to hospitals to fix you! I didn’t not chose to be a gay man, I was born this way.

Please give a damn, so when me, and all the young gay guys out there can have a better future, where they will not be kicked out from home or beaten or or or…!

I am hoping within 4 years, when I finish my studies and leave to somewhere in Europe or the US, this organization will help the world to be a better place.

And a Time to Every Purpose….

Oct 08th, 2010 09:22 PM By Britt

It took me more time to come to grips with the fact that I was homeless than it had for me to come to grips with the fact that I was LGBT. Being homeless is its own closet, it is one that goes deep, and it is a place when one stops living and starts surviving. I spent close to 18 months of my late-teens and early twenties in and out of homelessness. Living on one meal a day, spending time in and out of youth day shelters, staying with friends, sleeping in my car, even at some points letting people presume I was an adolescent boy so that I could find work and be less of a target.

During that time in my life I tried my best not to let anybody know my condition especially my family. I felt that it was deserved because I had not worked hard enough or was a good enough person, I felt much shame at not being able to keep a roof over my head. During that time though I gained so much from the other youth who I ran the streets with. I learned how to NOT GIVE A DAMN what people said and to GIVE A DAMN about the welfare of one another. I learned how to watch my back and to take care of my community. I learned how to protect what I care about and the pride that one finally feels when one gets off the streets. I am a lucky one, I got out alive and that is why I GIVE A DAMN!

What I learned on the streets was when to fight and when to run. The streets have made me brave enough to stand up and fight for my LGBT Family. It has also made me brave enough to fly to Afghanistan to fight injustice half a world away. As a community, we have been running for far to long, now it is time to start to fight the injustices. Homeless youth are fighting bravely for their lives and the lives of their street family everyday, it is time to start to GIVE A DAMN about the future. Homeless LGBT youth are the future.

Here After all

Oct 08th, 2010 09:19 PM By Zane

Hi. Well, ok, I am the youngest of 8 and only 2 are straight. I knew I was gay when I was little, but I never knew that I would be shunned by my family or kicked out of the house at 11. My siblings came out last year. I came out earlier, on my 11th birthday.

That is when my mom grabbed a bag, put some cloths in it and through me out of the house. I went from ally to ally thinking that I was a freak. I thought that if people saw me, that I would be beaten. Family is supposed to love one another, not hurt each other.

I was married for 3 months. His name was Cody. He died and it hurt. I told my parents and my mom had the audacity to say that she did not care and I should of died with him. She told me that on mother’s day.

Now, I am single, a widow and still feel like a freak. I know I should not, but I do. So, I sing and dance to take my mind off of it and I memorize broadway shows just to see myself in a loving family.

My Story of Emotional and Verbal Abuse which Lead to be Being Homeless

Oct 08th, 2010 09:13 PM By jessica

Well, my name is Jessica and I have been out since I was born, but just couldn’t find a way to show it and no one to back me up at times. Currently, I have lived on the streets of DC and let me tell you its not fun at all. I finally asked some friends I met if I could crash at their place, but unfortunately I can’t stay at there place forever. So, I think I’m going to try to get into a woman’s transitional home or something where I will be safe.

I know what it feels like to be depressed and go thru anxiety and stress…like you feel you don’t want to live anymore. I have dealt with trying to commit suicide so many times in the past. Somehow, I have gotten myself not to think about that anymore.

I’m on hormones and I also have a thyroid issue with no insurance, so things can be hard. I’m going to really leave that part at that. Me not being able to get my hormones at times is not fun because, not only will it go against my body, but it does so many things to you and I just have to suffer thru it.

So, basically to a lot of you I’m a lost girl with no one to turn to and it is a miracle that I’m still alive.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Jessica

Starting Out

Oct 08th, 2010 09:06 PM By Seb

I have given myself a few years to think about my sexual preferences and recently told (mostly online friends) and a couple (2) that I know, that I was bisexual.

I do not have many friends to begin with and all these fears I have of being rejected by the ones that always loved me, scares me. This is something I do not want other people to feel. I want people to be able to openly say they are bisexual, lesbian, gay or transgender without being scared of getting beaten up, kicked out of their homes or even worse…think about committing suicide.

I have yet to tell my parents and all my loved ones and I am honestly scared of what they will think. If people gave a damn, maybe some of these issues wouldn’t be happening to the many youth all around the world.

My name is Seb, I’m 19 and I do give a damn about equality.

Shouldn’t Matter

Oct 08th, 2010 09:03 PM By Sharra

One of my best friends, Sam, is gay. He came out this year, in eighth grade. The school, thankfully, doesn’t make fun of him for it, but he is scared to death to tell his parents. He is scared they will not want him and kick him out. I am constantly reminding him that he can come stay with me should that happen, but he is still scared to tell the people who are supposed to care the most. This has to end. God doesn’t make mistakes, so how are gays, lesbians, and bisexuals any different from us?

Why?

Oct 08th, 2010 08:59 PM By Katie

When I was younger, I lived on the streets. I met many different kinds of people, lots of them were gay. Many ended up homeless because their families did not respect their sexuality. I see some of those people now in horrible lives, selling themselves for drugs or even just drugged out. Some have made their lives great, most have not. Even my mom looks at me weird when I say I like the female body. I do not classify myself as bi, but I am sexually attracted to women.

My Story My Clay-Clay

Oct 08th, 2010 08:53 PM By Jackie

Hi, my name is Jackie. I have taken in a friend that has become more or less a brother to me and who is gay. I have known Clay for a little over 5 years, but he has been living with my husband and I for a year.

Our story began when we worked together and became very good friends. He lived in a home for boys and when he came out they felt that it would be best if he left. Just because he lived with all boys, but yet they didn’t have a problem with it before he came out. So, with a deadbeat dad and a mother who couldn’t afford to take care of him or had any legal rights to him, he then moved in with his cousins.

They ended up taking advantage of him. They would make him call into work sick because they needed him to watch there kids so they could go out and party. The they also took all his money until he owed the bank hundreds of dollars. So, after talking to my husband, we decided it would be best if he moved in with us. We have helped him get his finances in order, he now has a better paying job, and he goes to college.

My husband and I are not in the best of financial shape, but to know that we can help Clay, I would do it all again. I just don’t understand how mean people can be just because of someone’s sexual preference. He is still a human being, just like the rest of us.

Most of his family doesn’t want anything to do with him just because he is gay. But, my family and friends have taken him in as an equal. I will never understand how my family and friends can except him yet his family can not.

Last, but not least, our little boy absolutely loves and adores him to death. To me, that counts more than anything. As of now, we are just one big family going through day to day life. I love my Clay like a brother and would do it all over again in a heart beat.

California Dreamin’

Oct 08th, 2010 10:31 AM By Jeremy

They say that everything happens for a reason. My story begins on December 30, 2004. I had just finished one of the most powerful letters of my life. It was my step toward honesty; moving forward from where I’d been to become who I knew I was. I had written my coming out letter, quietly sent it to the printer downstairs, and gently placed in on the dining room table around 2 a.m. I crept back upstairs quietly and lay down in my bed. The next six hours consisted of tears, drifting in and out of consciousness, nightmares, cold sweats, and silent prayers to a dark and quiet room.

I tiptoed downstairs in the morning and quietly sat on the living room couch. My mom finally noticed me and nonchalantly smiled saying, “Jerm! Good morning! We got your letter. Let me get dad so we can talk about this.” I don’t want to go into details, but the following conversation consisted of things like: “This is just a phase,” and “We’ll help you work through this,” and “God loves you.” I repeatedly told them it wasn’t a phase, told them this was me, but my words fell on closed ears as they babbled away with religious words to make themselves feel better.

The next few months were chaotic. The New Year began and I pursued it with incredible strength. I had a new lease on life. Things at home weren’t as positive, however. Every month had some explosion about me burning in hell and their love for me and not wanted me to go to hell. Countless nights I tore myself apart … feeling guilty for making them feel this way, despising myself, and wishing I could make myself into someone they would love. And, at the same time, knowing who I was and knowing that it was ok to be me.
more…

1992

Oct 06th, 2010 11:13 PM By Troix

We need to make sure that we aren’t politicizing these student’s lives too much, they are more than single faceted people, and adding them as a number on a list of gay suicides is not okay.

Many years ago, 18 to be exact, I had been kicked out of my house for being gay. I was at the “right place at the right time” so-to-speak and my story catapulted me on every talk show from Phil Donahue to Montel Williams, New England Chronicle, Rikki Lake, etc. Gay teen suicide was the” hot” topic at the time, as well.

In the end, me and my story was politicized. A lot of good came from the media, but it was also a sign of the times. Clinton was running for office and pledged to change the whole “Gays in the Military” thing, which as we all know did not happen. Ironically these same issues, which have always existed, have surfaced together again recently. My heart goes out to their families.

My hat goes off to the wegiveadamn.org folks because they’re speaking to the issues and not exploiting the stories. It really is about time this crap ends. I’m Troix, I’m still around and I give a damn.