Dear LGBTQIA+ self-advocates,
Be yourself and be who you want to be! Don’t worry about what other people think of you.
We love you no matter what. It’s okay to be LGBTQIA+. It’s okay to be who you are. You should not have to hide who you are. You are who you are and that is what truly matters. Don’t let anyone stop you. Keep moving forward with who you are.
We are here to support you. You are not alone. We are with you by your side. There are ups and downs in life, and we are in this together.
There are all kinds of help and support out there in the world. There is always going to be someone to lend a hand. There is someone out there, maybe a family member or supporter or agency, who will be there to help you.
How you feel on the inside is who you are. What you want to do is your choice and your right.
Don’t worry, be happy!
With love,
Nora Johnsen and Pauline Bosma
I love being me a black gay man with a disability and I am open and free to be me.
It’s tough at times, you can feel alone, that you’re not thought of as normal or beautiful. But somehow you’ve got to just scrap that and just be yourself.
Things can seem very bleak in a moment in time, but with a little consistency and persistence, you can truly move mountains.
Never give up. Never. When you seek a dream in something and you seek a possibility in making change in the society that we live in, do it! Do it! It’s okay to be who you are.
Don’t ever underestimate the pool and the power of any sort of individualized personal connection. Think about it this way: we must have done something right if we have made sort of cautious advances, as we have with gay marriage. And before that, interracial marriage used to be at a similar crossroads. Just imagine what the transgender community can achieve from here on out.
You need a support system. You need other people like yourself that understand it, that went through it or are going through it. I like to say, always find a group. I’m very big on groups, social groups. You have to find comfort in your own community. I always encourage, talk it out, find someone who you could talk it out with. I wish and hope people can just find that one person. It doesn’t have to be a million people. It’s all about connection. And it can make a world of difference.
Keep doing what you do. If your crown falls, whether it’s a tiara or a crown, because eventually it’s going to fall sometimes. Even mine’s fallen at times, and I just pick it up, and keep going forward. Okay, those groups of people didn’t accept me, maybe this group of people will. So I say that to them – don’t take shit from anybody. Be proud. Whether you’re trans, you’re a homo, whatever, be proud of who you are. Like, for real. Keep rocking yourself.
P.S. If you need someone to talk to about gender, sexuality, or being LGBTQ+ you can:
