I am sick and tired of being belittled, bullied, silenced, censored, and told that I do not exist, that I am depraved and sick, and that I am as bad as a serial killer or prostitute. I am a human being, goddamn it, with feelings and desires and a personality.
“’First, homosexuality? It’s not a lifestyle. It’s who I happen to be. Second, I didn’t choose to be attracted to women. I just am. Did you make a choice to be attracted to women? Was it during puberty? When you graduated from high school? Was it a question on the SATs? No. Homosexuality isn’t a choice any more than heterosexuality is. And I know this because why on earth would anyone choose to be gay? Why would I want to put myself through all the bullying and name-calling and physical abuse I’ve faced? Why would I want to constantly be looked down at and stereotyped by people like you? Why would I willingly pick a lifestyle, as you call it, that’s such an uphill battle? I honestly cannot believe someone who has traveled the world as much as you have, Mr Preston, could have his eyes so tightly shut…I’m not a pedophile. I’m not a softball coach or a biker chick, any more than gay men are always hairstylists or florists or interior decorators. I’m not immoral. But do you know what I am? Intelligent. Tolerant. Capable of parenting. Different from you, but not lesser. People like me, we don’t need to be fixed. We need people like you to broaden your horizons.”
“’First, homosexuality? It’s not a lifestyle. It’s who I happen to be. Second, I didn’t choose to be attracted to women. I just am. Did you make a choice to be attracted to women? Was it during puberty? When you graduated from high school? Was it a question on the SATs? No. Homosexuality isn’t a choice any more than heterosexuality is. And I know this because why on earth would anyone choose to be gay? Why would I want to put myself through all the bullying and name-calling and physical abuse I’ve faced? Why would I want to constantly be looked down at and stereotyped by people like you? Why would I willingly pick a lifestyle, as you call it, that’s such an uphill battle? I honestly cannot believe someone who has traveled the world as much as you have, Mr Preston, could have his eyes so tightly shut…I’m not a pedophile. I’m not a softball coach or a biker chick, any more than gay men are always hairstylists or florists or interior decorators. I’m not immoral. But do you know what I am? Intelligent. Tolerant. Capable of parenting. Different from you, but not lesser. People like me, we don’t need to be fixed. We need people like you to broaden your horizons.”
I'm here. I'm bi. I am a human being.
And I am going to stand my ground.
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