Being queer, especially in a small town can be taxing on the young mind. Everyday, members of the LGBTQ+ community face hatred, fear, and a lack of love from those around them. Until the 1960's, even the idea of loving someone who shared the same gender as you was a crime. Two people of the same gender could not marry until 2015, and even then people declare in the streets that they should not marry.

One of the biggest struggles of being queer is knowing deep down that there will always be someone who is willing to ruin your life for the sake of their own personal beliefs. My own grandmother did not talk to me for almost three years after she found out I was gay. My own grandmother did not talk to my father, her own son, after I came out. I felt terrible, I seperated my family and caused a rift. Now, my family is learning to grow, and even my grandmother hugged me, and pulled me close to tell me that she loved me no matter what.

Some do not realize that there are these families being torn apart by something that is not a choice. Some do not realize that there are children on the streets, kicked out by their parents, because of something they cannot control. Some do not realize there are people, forced put on a facade to hide who they really are.

Everyday, people are torn between loving themselves, and letting themselves grow, or hiding who they really are, allowing themselves to grow a hatred for who they really are. Every month, an article comes across my social media of another couple, beaten on a train, on the streets, or in the bar, because they were holding hands. 

We need to stop the fear. We need to turn to those we love, whether they are a boy, a girl, or someone inbetween. We need to let them know we love them, for who they are. We need to stomp down the hatred, and let the love in our hearts grow.