It Gets Better



Posted: Monday, February 14, 2011

by Casey Starkweather

It took me a long time to come to this conclusion, that life gets better. I have spent nights crying into my friend's shirt or sitting in the lounge of my dorm with another friend. And every time I wake up, I know it's getting better. Life isn't easy. Being bullied makes it harder. Even for those who aren't bullied, I'm not, it's still hard to feel that you are different than everyone else. It's a very lonely feeling, and it is also a scary feeling.

When I was younger, I was silly.  I used to believe that if I was who I am, no one would like me. My family would hate me and I'd be alone forever. There were days, when the taunting and the teasings got to be too much, days when I wanted to die. But I'm still here. I'm one of the lucky ones.

Because I know now what I didn't know then: it gets better, so much better. Here I am at 21, finishing my bacholar programme. In a long term relationship with my best friend, who just so happens to be a woman. I've made friends, friends I wouldn't have made if I wasn't still here. Being open about my sexuality introduced me to a set of people just like me. Several of my friends are gay or questioning. Several are straight. Being different isn't a bad thing. No one wants to be a carbon copy. So this is me, saying the words I never thought I would be able to say: It's okay to be gay and it gets better.

If you need help, check out the Trevor Project or ItGetsBetter. Both are great sites, and both are inspiritional.
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