“I mustered up the courage to contact my biological father for the first time. I watched my phone for days and finally got the notification that the letter had been delivered. I was excited but worried about reopening old wounds. The next day, I got an email.”
‘I received an email from a stranger. ‘I’ve known about you all your life and looked for you for YEARS.’: Woman reconnects with birth family, creates jewelry brand representing hope
‘I finally came out to my mom. ‘I GUARANTEE you won’t have a happy life!’: Woman accepts sexuality, opens queer business, urges ‘it’s okay to cut people out of your life’
“’You better NOT be gay! I hope you find a man who will sweep you off your feet!’ I could NEVER be in a relationship with a girl.”
‘I came out to my dad, and he DIDN’T take it well. ‘I will TAKE AWAY your independence.’: Gay adoptee with cerebral palsy urges, ‘live your life on your own terms’
“I knew I was gay around 14 years old. However, because of homophobia and lack of tolerance for people with disabilities, I kept my mouth shut while SECRETLY falling in love many times.”
‘Someone says you two have been acting like lesbians. Two women shouldn’t be sleeping in the same bed.’ Tears sprung to my eyes’: Lesbian woman navigates life after coming out
“I stared at him blankly, a rush of humiliation and shame flooding me. ‘Do you have sexual feelings for each other?’ he demanded. I lied.”
‘Do you want to be my friend?’ They’d laugh and walk away. There were unwritten rules to friendships.’: Nonbinary person shares autism diagnosis
“I remember thinking, ‘How is it so easy? Do you just go up to someone and say you want to be friends?’ I didn’t understand what I was doing wrong.”
‘The WHOLE table stared at us. I had to prove her wrong in every way imaginable.’: Gay dad of 3 adopted kids writes children’s book inspired by his own family
“I could see she was not approving of my family. But we saved our little girl from a life she was destined to have.”
‘As I was getting ready to terminate my foster license, I got the call: ‘Mr. Ramos, do you remember Hector?’ My eyes widened. 3 days later he walked into my life, forever.’: Single dad adopts son with autism after emotional journey
“‘This is it! We’re going to be a forever family!’ Hector ran towards me and jumped in my arms. He hugged me and squeezed me tight as he said, ‘I love you so much, I love you so, so much.’ There he was, the one I had cried, prayed, and hoped for.”
‘Yeah… okay. I’m definitely not straight.’ I was married to a man. I confessed, I cried, I asked God to take it away.’: Queer woman embraces identity after 31 years, ‘My sexuality is perfect, as God intended it to be’
“I knew I couldn’t act on it because of my religious upbringing. My attraction to women didn’t matter, and I was going to ignore it.”
‘How can ‘I’ be gay?’ Gay guys have great hair, creamy skin, and abs. I had a HUGE belly hanging over my pants.’: Gay man learns body acceptance, ‘Being plus-sized doesn’t define me’
“Nothing fit right. My mom brought me to the ‘husky’ section. ‘What does husky mean?’ She said, ‘It’s for boys like you.’ BOOM. There it was. It wasn’t what she said. It was how she said it, in an almost hush, as if it was something embarrassing to be discussed.”
‘The test was positive.’ My heart stopped. The world came crashing down around me. I thought my life was ending.’: Man diagnosed with HIV becomes advocate, ‘My world is brighter’
“All I could think was, ‘I’m going to die.’ How would I tell my parents and friends? I found myself sitting on the beach, staring into the ocean. I wanted to throw myself in and not come back. I wanted this pain to be gone.”
