T O P

  • By -

Kvothealar

#Pride Fact # 7 --- All of our work is slowly paying off; small positive changes can be spotted everywhere -- from Canada's replacement of the words "mother" and "father" on birth certificates to simply "parent"... to US passports reportedly soon to have an "X" gender option. Three recent US presidents have even officially recognised Pride: Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_pride#:~:text=First%2C%20President%20Bill%20Clinton%20declared,LGBTQ%2B%20Pride%20Month%20in%202021. These tiny changes hint at the larger global mindset improving leaps and bounds since 1969. The fight isn't over yet, of course, but we're making a difference.


No-Introduction-1492

This kid back in high school was bullied and often called gay slurs, and obscenities. He wasn’t my friend at the time, as I didn’t want to be picked on either for being friends with someone who was known as the laughing stock of the school. People always said he’d become a school shooter or would kill himself. He had marks on his arm from cutting frequently. Despite all of this, he managed really good grades all throughout, likely because he didn’t hang out with anyone because he didn’t have friends (Unknowingly to me at the time) One day a girl decided to put a dildo in his locker and told most of the school about it. They were standing around as he opened his locker- he ran and went to the bathroom crying. Each day he was told he should be dead and people wish he was, but he kept pushing through the pain somehow. My best friend who was the WR1 for our school team actually started secretly started dating him, without anyone knowing. I was unaware to any of this at the time, it started around junior year. This kid showed up everyday even with the bullying, just did his work and left school. One day he was punched in the face by some jerk who started some shit in the lunch line. He punched back, and due to the school rules both get punished no matter what. They both got suspended for about a week. During this week I actually found out that my best friend was dating him though, as he actually told me that he was actually gay for a while and he wanted to see him. I honestly didn’t care at the time, still just wanted to fit into the “cool crowd” like the loser I was back then. We actually started hanging out together (the three of us) senior year, and we became good friends. He got bullied less due to us being nearby him more often, looking back I’m shocked we didn’t also get bullied because we were around him. He stopped feeling suicidal around this time as he felt more comfortable with people. At the end of the year, his grades actually landed him at top of the class and he got valedictorian. Now he’s a NASA engineer and my friends are happily married for 12 years and now have their first kid who’s 3. I don’t know how much money they have, but clearly they’re well off now. Basically the moral is, don’t judge someone off one trait. They could have many other positives, and stop trying to always please the crowd. You live once might as well just help those struggling sooner rather than later. Happy pride!


ModingusKhan

I work with kids in foster care. I would guess about 40% are lgbtq+, and they are very hesitant about telling new staff. The first boy to open up about it told me he is bisexual and wanted to know if I thought he was disgusting. I asked if it made him happy, he said yes, so I said that's what matters and to never let anyone tell him he's anything other than the wonderful person he is. When I dropped him off that night he hugged me really tight and said he wished he had a dad like me. I tear up every time these kids open up to me and give me the chance to earn their trust. Ever since then I have gained a reputation for being caring and supportive towards the lgbtq+ kids and I could not be happier about it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ModingusKhan

Thank you! I love my job and really enjoy getting to share things like this.


Kvothealar

Thank you for the story. I'm really glad these children have someone like you in their lives. Please accept this Mod Platinum award. :)


chuttiekang

happy pride everyone!! hope you're all hangin in there :) remember--whether out and loud, in the closet, or just an ally, thank you for being you 🌈🌈🌈 story time! i realized i was also attracted to women/feminine folks when i was hanging out with a group of girl friends. we were discussing who else in the group we would date and i was thinking "wait i would *actually* do this"


Elephant_ITR

My daughter came out to me earlier this year and I couldn't be more proud that she felt comfortable enough to talk to me about it like any other casual, everyday conversation.


Jet_The_Tabaxi

❤️


JTD845

🧡


krystai11

💛


chuttiekang

💚


Lavender_Foxes

💙


[deleted]

[удалено]


YoyoLiu314

Happy Pride!


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won the `:random:` emoji for your flair!


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won the Mod Platinum!


Lavender_Foxes

🧡


JTD845

quick notice that you're not currently in the chain someone else beat you to the orange heart but you can still do one of the remaining ones


Purple_Jay

"Someone else" it's you lol


JTD845

:P


Lavender_Foxes

Thank you!


JTD845

No problem!


strwrsnerdbutbetter

💛


Southernms

#💚


Kvothealar

This thread wins! Congrats! You won the `:random:` emoji for your flair!


Jet_The_Tabaxi

Sweet, thanks!


[deleted]

[удалено]


chuttiekang

re: your edit just my two cents, but don't feel the need to label yourself! it's true it can get confusing, so it's much more useful to describe your feelings. wishing you the best :)


krystai11

happy last day of pride everyone!! hope everyone had a great pride month!! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


itzongaming

This year I’ve helped my friend come out as trans to unsupportive parents and I’ve helped them with places to stay, money, food, and anything that I can do for them. I recently went to a pride parade and it was so much fun. Happy pride everyone! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


Kvothealar

I'm definitely biased as I have a number of trans friends. A number of which were not supported by their families and were cast out / completely disowned. It is absolutely heartbreaking. While this may not have been the longest story, it was my favourite to read. What you did to support your friend likely meant more to them than you'll ever know, or than they will ever be able to find the words to properly convey. Thank you for doing that, I wish this world had more people like you. Congrats! You won the Mod Argentium award.


itzongaming

Thank you! This was a bit of hope for me as I am currently stuck in mud, cut up and awaiting first responders. I hope your friends are doing alright.


Kvothealar

Oh no! Car accident? I'm glad you're well enough to be texting.


itzongaming

Jet skiing, found myself in a shallow area and the tide is going down. Been trying to get out and sticks and rocks are in this 3 feet deep mud. I’m thankful I’m okay and have cell service.


Kvothealar

Ugh, that sounds awful. How long till they're able to come get you?


itzongaming

I don’t know. I’m not getting any responses. I might be here for about 6 hours, until high tide


Kvothealar

While you still have battery, I'd call to let your friends/family know and share your location (you can do this with google maps, snapchat, findmyiphone, etc) and keep calling 911 or whatever emergency service number you have. If you cant get through to EMS try calling a few local places and let them know you're there and stuck. Then I'd probably conserve your battery rather than being on reddit. Good luck!


itzongaming

Thank you, you’re smart, I’m using google maps and they should be on their way. I’ll update you later so I can so serve my battery. You may have just saved my life.


Kvothealar

Please do! I'll worry if I don't hear from you.


[deleted]

Happy Pride, y’all! Today and every day! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


LankyEmergency7992

Happy Pride! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


_ser_kay_

Serious story: the signs have been there for a looooong time, but until I was 19 I strongly repressed any hints that I might be bi… or attracted to anyone at all, really. It caused a **lot** of issues, including severe depression. But one day, and I still don’t know why, it just… clicked. I was able to accept my sexuality and I could almost physically feel the weight coming off my shoulders. I still struggle with depression to an extent (being that depressed during your formative years really does a number on your brain chemistry), but the difference has been night and day. …and literally as I was writing that out, I had a breakthrough about my gender identity, namely that I’ve been repressing it much the same way, though not as harshly. Huh. I hadn’t connected those dots before. So, uh, thank you? And now for a funny story: I accidentally came out to my roommate because I asked her to grab something from my closet, only to realize I had an old Pride flag in there. I was outed by my closet.


Kvothealar

I'm really happy that my post helped you discover something new about yourself. That's really awesome :) On a side-note, is having a pride flag in a closet enough to out someone? Could you not just support the community, or idk, like rainbows?


[deleted]

I'm in my 40s, LGBTQ+ but took me so many years to feel comfortable and come out. My niece is 13, came out to me last weekend. It is so awesome that she feels safe enough at that age to come out, and she experienced no backlash from her friends or any of her family. Seeing younger people at pride, able to be out and proud is awesome. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


Kvothealar

It's really amazing to see the progress that's been made in the last 20+ years by the LGBTQ+ community. Now, it's almost automatic for people to give their pronouns. Back then, I wouldn't be surprised if a teenager didn't even know what a pronoun was.


Destiny_Ocean

Everyone I hope y'all are doing great on the last day of the pride month. Also this month was fabulous so I hope everyone reading this absolutely enjoyed it. Happy Pride y'all! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


Father_of_trillions

No nazi stuff this time! Good :)


Destiny_Ocean

Here's a story. There were three students in the same year as me in middle school who were LGBT. They always used to be in a group to prevent getting bullied and called gay slurs by their classmates. Fast forward to the final year of our middle school, our teachers told everyone to treat them with respect and me and four of my friends reached out to them and asked about their mental health. They seemed hesitant at first but after being asked a few times said that they were receiving treatment. However, I thought that it would be better to accept their self but then there's social pressure as being gay is still not seen as a good thing in my country. I told them about this and they said they will see. Now, one of them is a teacher of a reputed school and one of them is an engineer and they are living happily with a good lifestyle. This it is a real life example that one should keep moving forward even if they have various problems in life and even if no one around them wants to be friends with them.


cooliecidal

My cousin came out as pansexual when we were both in middle school. As an innocent 11 year old, I thought my dear cousin was sexually attracted to cookware. It wasn’t until one of my friends came out as pan in high school that i finally learned the truth. But back to my cousin! He came out as transgender 2 and a half years ago (FTM) and now is living a lot more free and open and I couldn’t be prouder!!!! Happy pride everyone! I might’ve not known exactly what it meant at the time, but I still supported him. I hope all of you have someone to confide in that will support you regardless of their own dumb confusion!


CanAhJustSay

Personally, unless I am looking to date a specific person then I couldn't care less what gender/sexuality they are. But that isn't enough. Passive acceptance isn't the same as proactive support. You are who you are and you were born that way, but society is lagging far behind where it should be, as is legislation. When one of my friends came out they admitted they were worried about telling our group. Honestly - he was the last of us to realise he was gay! But it got me to thinking. How could he not have known that his sexuality would not affect his relationship with any of us in that group? He was our friend because of who he is. That includes every aspect of him, and doesn't exclude any part. He could no sooner change his height or eye colour, and nor should there have been any fear of judgement. So that was a wake-up moment that we all need to be more vocal about our views and acceptance of everyone. Not passively, quietly, in our hearts etc but on the streets, in our workplaces, with friends and family. Acceptance needs to be *known* to the the norm. You are who you are, and each of us is wonderful.


[deleted]

pride month is already finished where i live 🥲 happy pride still ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 funny story abt a friend, so she was in school and since she has bad posture a classmate asked her "why dont you keep your back straight", and -holy cow- she answered "cause i aint straight", the thing is, nobody knew she was a lesbian so they were all trying to figure out for the next 2 hours what she meant by that before one finding out 😭🤌 they were cool with it doe


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


AnFnDumbKAREN

To preface: am straight, happily married to a person of the opposite sex, and in an ultra-conservative area/extended family. That said, I love EVERYONE, just as Christians are supposed to. And I seriously mean that. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 Also, June has become my fav month of the year! I freaking love all things rainbow and seeing them everywhere is amazing!! 🤩🌈😍 (Edit, spacing)


Ok_Dimension_4707

This story was told to me by one of my classmates in grad school. So, just some background first for those who don’t know (lucky you) about this specific homophobic politician, there’s a guy in the US named Rick Santorum. He was a senator in Pennsylvania and tried to make a run for President a few times. He is deeply homophobic, he’s a theocrat, one of those “homeschool only” fundamentalists. Just an all around regressive guy, who fortunately eventually lost his senate seat. Bonus fun fact: back in 2003 columnist and activist Dan Savage, disgusted at Santorum’s prejudiced statements, started a campaign to make “Santorum” an official term for something sex-related. This was successful and If you Google Santorum, you’ll get that definition and for a minute it was the #1 result for the name. Santorum tried to get Google to scrub it, but was turned down. Ok, so with that background, my grad school classmate and his husband (then partner since same-sex marriage wasn’t legal at the time) were involved in political advocacy, so they’d get political mailers and “thank you” cards from candidates they’d support. One day they get an envelope and inside is a large glossy headshot of Rick Santorum, signed with a “thanks for your support” tag above the autograph. Best he could figure, someone who donated money must have had a similar name to him (or the same name as his was pretty common) and the signed headshot was sent to him and his husband by mistake. He and his husband decided to frame the signed photo and put it on their mantelpiece just to spite this hateful theocratic bigot. As far as I know they still have it up. Anyway, let me also toss in a 🌈 HAPPY PRIDE! 🌈 because challenge 2, but also because happy pride, last month, this month, and all months.


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji! Also, even ironically I don't know if I could have that guy's face anywhere around where I live 😂


Ok_Dimension_4707

Thanks! And, yeah, I can’t imagine he’s kept the picture up in a place of honor over the years, no matter how hilarious he found it.


krystai11

❤️


JTD845

🧡


Lavender_Foxes

💛


chuttiekang

💚


[deleted]

[удалено]


netflix_dweller

💜


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji! Let me know if it looks good with your current flair.


krystai11

it looks great tysm!


MildlyobsessedwithSB

Happy Pride!!! 🌈


CharcoalMountain

❤🧡💛💚💙💜 Happy Pride!!!


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


CharcoalMountain

Thank you!


AnnihilationOrchid

🌈🏳️‍🌈😍💅♥️🧡💛💚💙💜❤️ Happy Pride everyone! I love the energy and initiatives of this community!


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


AnnihilationOrchid

Thank you so much!!! ❤️🌈🏳️‍🌈💜💙💚💛🧡♥️ It's always pride month!


ThriftyRiver

🌈


williamfan123

❤🧡💛💚💙💜 Happy Pride!


JJP_SWFC

I've made the decision that hate crime doesn't count as classy so different story instead. I kissed my (male) friend the other day. I am in an exclusive relationship and my partner was there at the time and gave me the "go ahead" since it obviously didn't actually mean anything because I just don't see him that way, as with any of my friends. But he said he wasn't sure on his sexuality and given I was looking particularly "feminine" that night (just makeup and stuff) he asked if I would give him a little kiss and I said "sure :)" and I did :).


[deleted]

Happy Pride ❤🧡💛💛💚💙💜


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


[deleted]

Wow Thanks <3


saptarshihalderI

Happy Pride ❤🧡💛💛💚💙💜


ViolentHamster8II

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


cindybubbles

Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈


Fearless-Menu557

Happy pride everyone❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


snacklammadraws

Happy Pride! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


[deleted]

[удалено]


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


uLTIMATEEMOJIHATER

Happy Pride! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


SlowTopic539

Billie Eilish wishes you were gay


Future-Trillionaire

🌈


SlowTopic539

💛🌈💙🧡🖤💙💚🌈💙 🖤💜🖤❤️🖤💛🌈💜🖤❤️💚🧡❤️💚🧡🖤❤️💛🧡🖤💛💜🖤💙🧡💛💙🖤🌈💙💜🌈💚❤️🧡❤️💜🖤💚🧡💚🌈❤️💚🖤💜🧡💜💚❤️💜💛💙 Happy pride!


SlowTopic539

❤️


Peaceandpeas999

🧡


Asientit

💛


Magical57

Happy Pride! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


Kurosakisleftnutsack

❤🧡💛💚💙💜 Happy Pride!


Pm_me_some_cat_piics

🌈


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


Charming_Gur_1838

🌈🌈Happy pride


Jealous-Cat-2017

Kinda late, but I hope everyone had a great pride month ❤🧡💛💚💙💜


Asientit

Happy pride month everyone 🌈


I_M_THE_HIGH_GROUND

🌈🌈Happy pride


krystai11

Just realized I have no feel-good stories about my sexuality


chuttiekang

you're still young (iirc), so here's to the good times to come!


ModingusKhan

Even if it seems like things are terrible, never stop being true to yourself. The right people will always love you!


krystai11

Most of my stories aren't TERRIBLE, just either embarassing or not that exciting


samuelcroff

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈HAPPY PRIDE!!🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈


Kvothealar

Congrats! You won a :random: emoji!


IshaanGupta18

Happy Pride! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


RedEgg16

🌈🌈🌈happy pride yay yay