When I was 5 years old, I had a crush on a girl and wondered if any of my other friends ever had feelings like this. When I was 12 years old, I wondered why I was so fixated on my friends who were girls and why I cared so much about what they thought. When I was 13 years old, I started dating boy after boy after boy and never giving myself time to think about who I was. When I was 14 years old, a girl told me she liked me and I didn’t hesitate when I said I liked her back. When I was 15 years old, I started going to church every Sunday and dating boys to prove to myself that I wasn’t gay, to prove that it was only one girl. When I was 16 years old, I came out to my mother and sister because my first girlfriend told me that I had no choice but to tell my friends and family. When I was 19 years old, I came out to my grandparents and they accepted me without hesitation.

Now, at almost 21 years of age, I have come to love myself for who I am. I pride myself on not just being known for being gay, but for being kind, helpful, honest, loyal, respectful, and loving. I identify as a good person, who just happens to be gay. There’s nothing wrong with that and I hope that during this pride month, everyone who is struggling finds light and love like they deserve to.