They say we have the right to marry
So we should be happy,
They ignorantly ask
Isn’t that enough?

But they don’t understand
The strange fear
Of holding your partners hand in public,
The looks from mothers
As they rush their kids past
Shielding them from our love.

They don’t understand being afraid
Of telling your loved ones
About the one you love,
Hiding it away
As if it is wrong.

They don’t understand
The way the comfort of each others arms
When spending time alone
Vanishes as soon as we step outside.

They don’t understand
The awkward pause in conversation
When mentioning your partners gender
As we see their face change
Along with their mindset.

They don’t understand
The stereotypes we face
Being told we don’t look gay
So it couldn’t possibly be true,
But what does gay look like?

They don’t understand
The denial their family goes through
Saying hurtful things,
Like “it’s a phase”
Because they can’t accept the reality.

They don’t understand
Having to come out
Not just once
But almost daily
To each new person we meet
And the way that each time
It doesn’t get easier to say.

They don’t understand
How much it hurts,
Even the very toughest of us
Have at one point
Struggled greatly
And fought their own feelings.

They don’t understand
The society that they have created for us,
One where we have to celebrate
Our right to marry
When it’s been given freely
To others for years.

They don’t understand
Because they are not us.