During my recent trip to Europe it surprised me to see how accepting and kind everyone is. While I meet the occasional passerby who looks at me with disgust here at home, people smiled at me over there.
I got to Madrid during the closing of Pride fest and it amazed me that the whole city was covered in smiles and rainbows, everywhere I went I saw all kinds of people regardless of race, gender, age and ideas openly being themselves and respecting everyone around them. Government buildings had banners in support of the LGBT+ community, people of colour, and welcoming refugees and public places were adorned with positive messages. It was so open to ideas and organised that it seemed like a paradise to me, so much that it saddened me.
It saddened me because this should not have been an alien concept to me. Equality should be common sense, a normal part of society. And it breaks my heart that I still meet people who will refuse to accept love for not being presented in the form of a straight cis couple, or people who will pay a person less because of their skin.