The LGBT community is one of the most loving, caring, and accepting groups there is. I’m not gay, but some of my best friends are. And through them the world of being LGBT has become very real.
Like everyone else they have their own stories and a lot of them are heartbreaking. My friends and their friends have been bullied, made fun of, or even asked to leave their homes just because of who they choose to love. And when they couldn’t find anyone else who understood them, the LGBT family opened their doors to them.
An ally in the LGBT community is someone who doesn’t identify as gay but believes that no matter who you are, you have the right to love and marry whoever you want.
And growing up I wasn’t taught to see the differences in people. I was taught to see what we had in common.
That’s why I became an ally.
I was so tired of seeing my friends ridiculed just because of their lifestyle preference. And I was angry for people refusing to accept them because of the stereotypes that come with being gay, lesbian, trans, or bi.
Recently the LGBT community’s voice has almost been silenced when it comes to political issues. Then incidents like the shootings in Orlando happen and people are left wondering what they can do.
As an ally, there are so many different things to do but the biggest one is just being there.
Hearing this community’s concerns right now, and actually listening, means so much. Making sure they all feel like they’re accepted is even more important. And being their support system is amazing.
The other thing to do is fight, and really fight.
We can vote against bills that discriminate against those who identify as LGBT. We can make our voices heard so we can stand up for the ones who’ve been ignored.
Every day is another struggle to understand the concept of acceptance, but we can change it with our actions. Instead of just coming together when mass tragedies happen, we fight everyday for everyone’s right to be accepted as they are.
And until the day we’ve reached our goal we’ll keep fighting because everyone deserves to be loved. No matter who you love.
For more of Megan's work, follow her on Facebook