I am Just Like You

Forget winning. I believe that this contest shouldn't be about winning -- it should be about writing stories to inspire and helping others who are looking for words to take to the heart. It should be about people coming on this site and reading our stories to find a way to love their life even more.

It is currently 12:45 A.M. and I happen to be listening to "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato. I'm playing this song to help me find inspiration to write a message about what LGBT+ truly means to me. I'm going to start off by revealing part of my story as a gay teenager. For me, being gay has never been easy. I grew up, at a young age, confused about my sexuality and trying my hardest to not let anyone find out the real me. It was in 8th grade when I finally admitted to myself that I was fully gay and not bisexual. I guess that's a typical thing to do -- tell yourself you're bisexual because it means you're still attracted to the opposite sex which would make everything easier. But in the end you know that coming out as fully gay or lesbian is the best decision to make. That will truly make your life a lot easier and happier as well. 

Throughout all four years of high school, I was the only openly gay kid in my entire school. I was known for being gay, I was known for being flamboyant and I was known for having different hair colors. I came to realize that I was very fortunate to have friends (including other students I didn't know) be accepting of me and not care that I was attracted to other guys. With all the support and love of my friends, I decided to create dreams for myself by telling myself to be an inspiration to one another. I know how hard it is to be different, especially in a world like this. It's not easy living in such a judgmental, prejudice, and unaccepting world. But it is possible. 

I have come to learn that the LGBT+ community is about love, happiness and acceptance. When people who know what it is like to feel different, to be left out, or bullied, all come together, we create a family of love and empowerment. We watch each other's backs and tell one another that it's okay to be who they are. The best thing about the LGBT+ community is how diverse and how accepting and supporting we are. Nothing can ruin that strong and stable bond. As long as we use our words and our bravery to stand up for ourselves or one another, that is all we truly need to show how much we care about other people. Some LGBT+ members might have it easy where their families and friends are accepting of them whereas other LGBT+ members are not so fortunate enough to have families that love them after revealing their true selves. That is reality. But that reality can quickly change by having true friends and family by your side to make your life better and happier. That's what LGBT+ means to me.

I've never told anyone my story before, but that is not all of it. I decided to take action of my dreams and pursue them by creating videos on YouTube and using my words and my voice to become the inspiration the high schooler me had began to dream about. I want to be able to help people who are in need and/or persuade others to begin to help their friends and their peers that are seeking words of wisdom or a reason to live. At some point in my YouTube career, I will film my own "coming out" video and share with the world my story of when I discovered I was gay and how I handled telling everyone I was gay. 

If you are reading this, you are so worth more than anything in this world. You and everyone else in this world have a true reason to be part of this life. Share your life and love with everyone you care about. I know life will get hard at times but those are the best times to learn something new. 

If you are ever looking for inspiration or a little laughter, that is what I created my YouTube channel for. My main goal for my YouTube videos is to inspire. And not only that, but to show off some humor, share my story and to be there for anyone who is looking for help. If you'd like, (you don't have to) please check out my YouTube videos. I've only made one video about LGBT+ so far but more videos about it will be coming soon. Please feel free to check out my "Pride Month 2015: It's Okay To Be Different" video.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtI-zQbmnrQYS12En5IA_8A/feed

In the future, I'll be making more LGBT+ videos. My top priority is to make sure that every person in the world loves their life. That's all that truly matters to me. Just know that there are people out there that you can truly trust. If you need some help or need some words of inspiration, please do not hesitate to email me or tweet me and I will 100% help you out. I know I may be a stranger but I am just like you.