Sarah’s Version: Pride Month
This was originally posted in Defense Unicorns Internal Company Blog as a co-authored blog between myself and a coworker. Her story has been redacted, as it is hers to tell.
My dad & myself circled, West Middlesex Youth Soccer Team
I grew up weird. This comes to the surprise of no one who knows me — but even as a kid I was “different”. My father recalls me frequently taking the heads of Barbies to use as lawn ornaments and being an avid bug collector. I spent an unhealthy amount of time playing Halo, binge watching Grey’s Anatomy, and hanging out at the mall with my friends. I was always weird, but it was never because I liked girls.
I grew up lucky. West Middlesex High School was in a one stoplight town, with an average population of 805 people. In my tiny rural school, no one cared about your sexuality, and it wasn’t seen as wrong or weird. We had our fair share of queer and gay folks, but they weren’t “gay students”, they were just “students”. Anyways, as teenagers, we had bigger things to talk about. It didn’t matter who you were dating, because what was more important was what Aaron did in the lunchroom, or if Mr. Briggs was going to be selling his house because the local school kids were teepeeing it too often.
My sister, father and myself and West Middlesex Junior/Senior High School
I grew up lucky. I grew up in a small town, with a mom, dad, and sister, and I grew up bisexual. When I brought home girlfriends my parents treated them, and myself, the same as when I brought home boyfriends. I didn’t learn being gay was “different” until I was an adult. I grew up fortunate, with parents who never taught me that dating girls was weird, but all the other cringe stuff I did was.
This Pride Month (June) I reflect on my luck, but also how many in my community are not as lucky.
52% of LGBTQ youth report being bullied in middle and high school, this is 20% more than straight students. Being bullied in middle school was reported more frequently than in highschool, which is 11 to 13 years olds. When these LGBTQ youth turn into LGBTQ adults, more than 60% of them will attempt to commit suicide, and are at risk of homelessness or physical violence more than double than their cisgender, heterosexual peers.
We are starting to see the decades of LGBTQ+ advocacy pay off. In 2015, the U.S supreme court recognized that the U.S. constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that sexuality is a protected class and cannot be discriminated against in the workplace. This progress is monumental, however we are still far from the day that those in the LGBTQ+ community do not fear self expression.
American Flag with Pride Flag
“If you are not personally free to be yourself in that most important of all human activities — the expression love — then life itself loses its meaning” — Harvey Milk
I aim to spread compassion, understanding, and an ear for anyone who wants it.
#LoveIsLove