“The first time I bought ‘man shoes’ I was terrified to wear them, I think they’re the light blue bowling shoes I have; the first time someone asked me what my pronouns were, I think it might have been @ a BreakOUT! event.”

“I clearly heard the manager tell the assistant manager that they would never promote a ‘fag’ in this department.”

“was placed in the psychiatric ward at Florida Hospital in Orlando. I couldn’t stop crying. All those feelings that I had bottled up for tens of years came rushing out all at once.”

“The many attempts to socially and racially eradicate me and then liking men – They constantly told me I was a problem – and that it should have been straight.”

“Are we just here? sitting in the wind Do people see us? Do they even know we are here Screaming so loud.”

“I knew that I was on my 3rd strike with them. If I did anything else that they considered “gay,” I knew they’d kick me out.”

“There is no one here to meet. At first, I thought there was, A name, a face, a tongue, a body”

“‘Gay’ did not exist in my small rural Michigan community. Only words like ‘queer’ or ‘faggot,’ with all their negative connotations.”

“Sooner or later I’ll realize that I’m enough.
Sooner or later I’ll realize that the disrespect is too much.
Sooner or later I’ll say I’ve had enough.”

“Free. I’m finally free. I don’t have to walk around and pretend anymore. I’m free.”

“Her death is a wound that is gone unhealed and 2 years and 14 days later we still have no justice, only heartbreak and memories.”

“I’m on my own because I know what I do and don’t deserve. I deserve to be happy.”

“I am the girl who likes boys. I am the girl who love girls as much as I can love a man.”

“Just like the National Geographic photo encouraged a lot of trans people and let them feel like they could transition, video games did that for me.”

““My dear Richard was my neighbor, finding him, ‘He was the boy next door’ As our relationship truly blossomed to love”

“My journey started with fear and others knowing my attraction was for boys, trying to change, trying to fit, ran away unable to accept who I was”

“Since I had already experimented and enjoyed teenage sexual excursions with other boys, I knew that she was talking to me, and that was enough to put me in the closet.”

“Someone like me is always OK. Or at least that’s what I tell people.”

“Now I am FREE, FREE TO BE MYSELF. I AM HAPPY!”

“Married 20 years to a male, I had a child and 2 grandsons, I had no idea I was bisexual until I was divorced.”

“The homophobic behaviors I have experienced in my life have been subtle and over, intentional and unintentional”

“Growing up in rural Louisiana is unlike everything in the world – beauty beyond what I can describe. But the culture surrounding me was much different.”

“There is love between Robert and I”

“At times the fight to be who I am now becoming was something that pushed me to the point of suicide. I thought that it was my only way out of the body I knew I didn’t belong in.”

“as a senior gay man not everything is sunshine, many clouds follow me around but thanks to the love and understanding of my parents, my family, and good friends I am able to survive attitudes and situations”

“My entire life I’ve felt WRONG! An outsider! I never related to the considered ‘NORM’.”

“our Biggest revenge at A present Day timeline, Is Existing when we’re told Not to.”

“This world has not been kind to me, As I discovered who I was…a Black transwoman.”

“This is a statement that fits Connie and my personal and political activism though Connie became an activist.”

“It was a struggle but as I grew older I had to stand my ground and let them l know I’m not changing this is me accept it or not.”

“I don’t need your permission to exist
I don’t owe you my story
I don’t owe you shit”

“Being who you are is not a choice. You have to choose to not let the indifference and rejection break you. You have to choose that in not being loved that you don’t stop holding space for love.”

“A stranger grabbed me and put a knife to my throat. He said he hates faggots, thank goodness another group of men saw what was happening and got they guys off me.”

“Promise yourself tonight you’ll never give up, and to never leave any stone unturned. You’ve always known your purpose, you’ve always known who you are.”

“Oh my womanhood was forged in the fires of self acceptance, tempered by desire and brought up in a home of love, raised in fear”

“I guess as a child I felt there was something wrong with me. I would have nightmares. I guess I was in hell or would go to hell because deep down I know I was gay.”

“Having to shave a beard before getting my period left me a fairly confused child.”

“Paul and I were friends and partners for about 7 years, we were both gay, motorcyclist and traveled around a lot. He traveled in his work & both of traveled together and separately. Chicago, Milwaukee, St Louis, Minneapolis , Indy, Nashville, KC, MO +++ In fall of 1983 he got pneumonia that turned out to … READ THE STORY

“Life is full of sacrifices and the unfortunate reality for many LGBT youth is that they have to sacrifice so many things just to live authentically. For me, I’ve had to sacrifice the love of my father.”

“So many people hated, dislike, talked about and made fun of me, I just thought oh this is it, nothing else today I guess”