Never forget…
The fear that your eyes would wander toward theirs
The pain of exposing yourself to rejection from an unreciprocated crush
The loss of a best friend who misunderstood
The torment that festered inside you
The guilt experienced from such simple, innocent attraction

Never forget…
How you felt as a young boy or girl with that secret
How you blushed because you related to the target of a friend or family member’s slurs
How it took you years to get you where you are today
How people in your life have supported you along the way
How many hardships and hard days you faced just because you are uniquely, beautifully you

Never forget…
Those who are still in such a dark place
Those who are and will be bullied today and tomorrow
Those who have years before they can escape
Those who daily seek to find something to just get them through their day
Those who were and are just like you and me

– – –

In light of not forgetting those LGBTQ teens who are still longing for better days:

For my 25th birthday, my friends helped me launch an initiative called 25 for Trevor. It’s a 25-day campaign to raise $25,000 for The Trevor Project, which is the United States’ leading provider of crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. You can learn more about their resources at www.thetrevorproject.org. I hope its services are soon modeled in other countries, if not already.