Dear little, black, queer boys,

Those tears that you drown yourself in are making you stronger. I understand that your heart is broken. You are carrying a weight on your shoulders that you did not choose. You’re questioning why they do not understand you and why sometimes when you look in the mirror you look almost unfamiliar to yourself. There are three strikes against you; you’re black, male, and queer. I get it. Faggot falls from the lips of bigots into your lap and it doesn’t sit well with you. Your masculinity is broken, beaten, and erased because of the love that you have in your heart. You try to straighten your walk, deepen your voice, and look to media for what is expected of you as a man. You perpetuate homophobia in your own community, emasculate other men, and look at women only for their ornamental value because that’s what it takes to be a man, right? Wrong.

Because the rainbow is symbolic of your orientation does not mean that you were created to bend at the whim of society. Because you were created differently does not mean that it is okay for you to be treated differently. That closet that you often suffocate yourself in was not created for you and I want you to understand your worth. Your being is necessary and your voice will one day serve as reason for a little boy that feels the exact way that you do right now. Be strong and confident in who you are and never forget to love yourself. Some days, when you feel the world is against you, all you will have is yourself. Never forget that there is purpose in your footsteps. Every step that you take is one taken in boldness, fearlessness, and love.

I am with you. I am fighting to keep your hope alive. One day you will be able to wake up and be at peace with yourself because they’ll understand. The world will understand that you did not choose to be who you are, and they won’t shame you for loving it. You’ll no longer have to go throughout life being defensive. You are greatness. You are beauty. You are love. Keep your head up and remember that there’s someone in your corner rooting for you. Waiting for you to fulfill your inevitable greatness.

With love,

Another little, black, queer boy.