(January 8, 2012 at 10:53 pm)aleialoura Wrote: My best friend died from AIDS in 2010. I saw what he went through as a gay man, people telling him that he got AIDS because god sent it as a plague to rid the world of homosexuals. I saw all the discrimination he endured because of his sexual preference, and I know what a wonderful person he was.
So, for me, it's very personal.
:[ I just want to give you a hug right now. And I'm really sorry about your friend. I would imagine he was a brave and strong man because I can imagine that the intolerance then is even worse.
I told myself I wont respond anymore but I'm going to say this and I don't care how people take it whether or not they think I'm being melodramatic or not.
But I just want to say how much I appreciate you and everybody here who show acceptance and defend the LGBT community. It really means alot. I organized GSA at my school and had been running it for 2 years now hoping to give LGBT students a place to find support from other LGBT students and straight allies, I still feel pretty burnt out on many days. I think people doesn't realize how damaging degrading and hateful words can be, and a lot of the scars from it is quite permanent. Being involved in Gay rights organization and had organized public events, I would like to believe I'm not afraid, but when hateful words directed at me, it is still very nerves-wrecking and discouraging.
LGBT people in a lot of case doesn't find support from family or most friends either, so it is very different. It just break my heart when friends and members I know decided to use internet school because they just dont feel good or safe at school. And it is just hurt when LGBT youth decide to take their own life because of it. It is frustrating that people just simply hate because of ignorance and there is nothing to do about it...
So I just really want to say thank you to everybody who shows acceptance and look at us beyond our sexuality to see that there isnt anything that different or special about us. Just human.
