lgbtq

The letters LGBTQ are just another way of saying that Love is Love.

Sexuality as a Journey
A short story about how I began to acknowledge that sexuality is fluid and an ever-changing aspect of me. This essay includes some “TMI” material and mentions self-harm. Names have been changed for their privacy.
By Bill8 years ago in Humans
'I Don't Want to be Alone'
When I first came out as transgender, I was single and heartbroken. My partner at the time just broke up with me two weeks before I came out. I had my friends there for me as I transition slowly. I felt that I was not ready to date yet.
By CJ Vondal8 years ago in Humans
Do Labels Matter?
This is somewhat of a follow-up piece to the other story/article I wrote called "Not Knowing Who I Am." I've identified as straight, bisexual, and lesbian throughout my life. Each time I "came out," I would question if I really was 100% gay or bi. I didn't really think much of it until I started my first year at college. I had identified as lesbian for about a year and had tons of support from friends and family. Then college came along and I was set on staying gay.
By Stacy J8 years ago in Humans
Not Knowing Who I Am
I first fell in love with my friend, we'll call her Leah, when I was in the seventh grade. How did I know I was in love with her, you ask? Well, I couldn't tell you, 'cause I just knew something was different when I was around her. The only person who knew I liked her was my other friend, we'll call her Haley, who was my confidant. I mustered up the courage to tell Leah that I liked her one day. Her response? Pure shock with a little bit of disgust mixed in. She never talked to me after that, but I knew something was different about me after I realized I was in love with her. So, I did what any thirteen-year-old did and told my mom I thought I was bisexual. Her response? "It's probably just a phase, Stacy." I didn't know any other way to respond to that, so I just agreed with her and pushed the idea of being bi into the back of my mind, slowly forgetting about it. With the idea of being not straight as a phase, I strictly dated guys throughout the rest of middle school and my freshman year of high school, but still struggled with my sexuality because some girls still piqued my interest.
By Stacy J8 years ago in Humans
The Truth
Once upon a time I was in a creative writing class in college. Our task was to create a character and write an inner monologue. I chose someone from a novel I was developing. Sitting here, going through some of my things, I realize it's not something I will ever use. Admittedly, it's not my best piece of writing, but I did put some heart into it and wanted to share this bit.
By Mitch Davis8 years ago in Humans
The Key to Happiness
You (my teacher) said that the key to happiness was learning to play: by exploring the environment and experiencing real life rather than watching television and playing video games.
By Rion Marks8 years ago in Humans
Beaten by Love
This story takes place to a time where I really didn't know who I was. My actions at this time told exactly what I did and did not need at the time. This story takes place a few years before my transition to the beautiful transwoman that I am.
By Merlin Mystique8 years ago in Humans
Coming Out
The world that we live in isn't as inclusive as we think. We look at those in the LGBT community and we have so many different terms to know and it means that we can label almost every single person. You can not want sex and want a romantic relationship. You can want sex and nothing more. You can like the opposite sex, same sex, both, like those in the middle, like those who feel more boy some days and more girl other days, like those in transition, like all of the above. The LGBT terms are as flexible as a gymnast. The terms are not the problem; the problem is having to tell people.
By Sam Renton8 years ago in Humans
The Red Scarf
James was almost late to his soccer game so I dropped him off instead of parking the car and helping him with his gear. It was just faster that way. So James is currently playing his heart out on a field across town and I am on the shabby rug on my living room floor. There’s just so much to do, yet here I sit, perhaps still in shock.
By Abbey Roman8 years ago in Humans
12 Profiles You'll See Online Dating as a Lesbian. Top Story - October 2017.
Like many of my peers, I have a love-hate relationship with 21st century dating, mostly because I am not good at it. It is rare to meet someone in the 18-24 age bracket, especially in the gay community. Yet after swiping for a while, a lot of the candidates you see look similar. If you're a woman who uses a dating app to date other women, members of these groups will be impossible to avoid.
By Lauren Harsh8 years ago in Humans
Sanctuary
She’s here. Struck dumb, I stand in the way of the customers who obey the barista calling out names assigned to steaming half-caff, double pump espresso mocha latte-chinos. Yet I cannot move, my own Grande 4000 calorie treat sweetly scalding my trembling fingertips, now forgotten in my hand.
By Abbey Roman8 years ago in Humans
Born This Way
I was raised straight. I was raised to believe that any orientation other than straight was a sin. I’m not straight, though. Does this mean God (if God is even real) loves me less? Does it mean I’m doomed to be rejected by my family? What does this mean? I hope it doesn’t mean I’m going to be alone forever. I mean, I can’t find a nice girl to settle down with, because then my family will hate me. I could find a nice boy, but what if I don’t love him? I never thought it would take the courage that I don’t have to tell them. I can’t and I probably never will. Does this mean I’m not being true to myself? If I still spoke to my father, he would probably stop talking to me (which wouldn’t have killed me). Mom, though, her heart will be broken. She’ll probably cry and ask if it’s her fault. I don’t want to keep this locked inside forever. But I don’t want to tell them. I’m supposed to be the model child of the family. I’m treated like I’m perfect, but still treated like I’m the most flawed person. I’m supposed to be the example, supposed to make sure all the kids are lined up like ducklings behind me; all heading toward promising careers and then to marriages that are only torn apart by death. Of course, those marriages will be the most hetero of couplings. I don’t get it. I thought that by now, people would accept the fact that their children might not be attracted to the opposite sex. And what if one of the boys decides that they want to be a woman? What happens if my sister decides that she wants to be with more than one person at a time? What then? Will our parents kick them out? What if the little one comes out as gay? He’s a sweet boy, and really sensitive. I know that if my parents started hating him, I would let him come stay with me. Because it doesn’t matter to me who you love. Love is love. For a while I thought maybe I was hetero, but I’m not. I first realized that I liked girls when I was nine or ten, when I would watch those old Justice League cartoons. I was literally in love with Wonder Woman (can you blame me?). But I knew I still liked boys too. But since I wasn’t allowed to be that way, I thought that I just needed to get over it. I just thought I was because that’s the way I was raised. I am bisexual, and I’m not ashamed of it, because that’s the way I was born.
By Belle Bledsoe8 years ago in Humans