Look, gay teens. It’s time for me to level with you here: I’ve seen a lot of quiet gays lately. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of other gays thinking that they can’t speak out. They feel closed off from the world. There’s too much gay suicide and yes, even one unnecessary death is one death too damn many.
You’re going to have to stand up for yourselves. Look at Dan Savage — is anybody going to tell him to get back in the closet? Hell no. It doesn’t get more out than Dan Savage. He’s harsh, but he’s often spot on. It’s time for you to grow a backbone, gay teen. We’ve tried to coddle you, nurture you, and cuddle you a little too much. That’s partially our fault but you’re going to have to eventually cut the cord. You can’t just sit there hoping that life is going to get better. Gay teens, you’re going to need to go out and make it better. Stand up to bullies. Call them out.
We have good news for you — the world is changing. More and more Americans alone are deciding that hey, letting gay people marry isn’t a bad thing. Illinois is making same sex marriage legal, and that’s a big step in the right direction. Even though Chicago is pretty liberal in many ways, the rest of the state isn’t. That means that we just scored a victory.
Oh yeah, turn on that TV. Glee? Still bringing in viewers, and not all of them are gay. That’s our show, folks. Modern Family? That’s our show. Ellen is coming out saying that her marriage to Portia di Rossi was one of the best things that she’s ever done. That’s one of our very own enjoying nationwide media coverage. It’s something that we need to focus on.
There’s plenty of things to be excited about. If you’re feeling glum about being gay, guess what? It’s time to realize your worth as a person.
You need to march up to that mirror, look at it and really decide what type of person you’re going to be. You have to choose to be happy, even when the chips are stacked against you.
Yes, there are going to be people that think you’re the devil because you love people from your own gender. SO be it. Yes, I said it — so be it. Look, you can’t 100% approval. Even if all 50 states make gay marriage legal someday, the reality is that people will still have negative opinions. You can’t control them, but you can always control you.
That’s not something that’s going to necessarily get us supportive mail, but try to see what we’re really trying to tell you. It gets better. You have to believe that — or the game’s lost. Don’t let their words make you lose the game. Your life matters. If you have to take back your life by realizing that you’re worth more than you can ever imagine, then you definitely need to take that road. There’s a vibrant life ahead of you, why not claim it?
