Gay Hudson seniors named king and queen of prom in open vote of classmates ( Charlie Ferrusi and Timmy Howard; June 2010; Hudson High School; New York)

The purpose of this blog, which is different from what I normally post, is not to offend anyone who is adamantly opposed to the LGBTQ community and their lifestyle, nor is the intent to start a religious dialogue or debate of any sort as a defense for what some may feel differentiates right from wrong. And, it is not the intent of this blog to demean, degrade, or belittle any person, regardless of their sexual orientation, or religious or personal beliefs.

The purpose of this blog is to help make people aware of what is taking place in the LGBTQ community, in particular among the youth. Their  stories are real. We cannot live our lives with our heads buried in the sand, continue to look away and walk away, or simply wish that the LGBTQ community would just somehow disappear, especially since it has existed for centuries, albeit not as prominent as it is today. We need to listen to what the youth are telling us. Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer is a very real part of life for them, and even if we are not personally accepting of their lifestyles, we should still do whatever we can to love and respect them for who they are. There are some who consider them to be different because of their lifestyle, but the point of the matter is that they are still human beings and deserve to live their lives without the fear of being constantly bullied or harassed.

It seems that there are more people coming out as being lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, or queer. This is especially true among youth who are coming out at different ages. YouTube, for example, seems to have a plethora of videos of gay youth telling their coming out stories. 

Whether or not we agree with a particular lifestyle is really not the question. The real question that we need to ask ourselves is whether we can still love and support persons who identify themselves as part of the LGBTQ community, and especially those who are members of our own families, close friends, or associates, and in particular the future leaders of tomorrow – the youth.

The reality is that none of us live perfect, sinless lives, and that includes anyone who considers himself or herself to be a devout Christian. Because a person identifies his or herself as lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, or queer, it does not change who that person is on the inside. We must avoid being quick to judge another, and pushing him or her away. Instead we need to learn how to be more compassionate and more understanding of one another. We need to try walking a mile in their shoes, and seeing the world from their perspective for a change.

It Gets Better Project launches new initiative for LGBT youth in Russia