The moment when you start living your own life for yourself is the moment when you decide to stop changing yourself to fit to mold set for you by others. You can’t please everyone, and you can’t change yourself.

I will always have hazel eyes, light skin, and unfortunately large birthing hips. I will always be a lover (not a fighter), anxious, studious, devoted, and gay.

I spent a great portion of my life trying not to be gay. I made mistakes and sinned to try to be what everyone wanted from me. But after four years of tearing myself apart, I finally took the time to look down and see how beautiful those shattered pieces of me are. And I glued myself back together.

I took my meek heart and broken soul to the battlefield that was honesty, and on that ground I did the most courageous thing I’ve ever done. I spoke the truest words I knew to my parents.

I was greeted with unexpected acceptance and love. I was shocked at how easy it was to be myself and still feel their love, and I finally began to love me too.

I’d always been someone else. My doors were closed and I hid within. But this is me taking back all those harsh words. This is me embracing every “faggot” spit in my face from every close-minded elderly woman and every cold hearted frat boy who tried and failed for my heart. I will not swallow my pride, because pride, that’s my parade. And tonight I’ll dance.

“Please believe I’m taking back every Bible belt ever cracked against my spine,” said poet Andrea Gibson, and I think I will too. There’ll be no more hiding the big rainbow truth.