Have you ever wanted to make a difference? Like when you see someone at school being bullied and you want to step in and break it up. Or when you’re walking through New York and see all the homeless people sitting on the street and for just a moment you think how could I help them? Or even picking up a piece of trash that wasn’t yours? Small things that might make a difference for someone else other than yourself. Well, that is exactly what Diamond in the Rough Publishing is looking to do with their Pride Project “This is Who We Are.”

“This is Who We Are” is a publication aiming to help the LGBTQ+ with acceptance. It is definitely getting better out there with people accepting the LGBTQ+ community but it’s still not as safe as it could be and since it’s not as safe and fully accepting there are still people out there that are afraid to be who they really are. So my friends and I have discussed developing a publishing company and I suggested that one of the books I have wanted to create was a book filled with peoples coming out stories. Being a gay individual I know how it feels before coming out and how some of us find ways to hide the fact that we are gay until we are ready or in some cases until someone else finds out and outs you when you’re not ready.

Everyones' experience has its differences, but we believe that someone out there struggling with acceptance may relate to someone else’s situation who is already out. We are looking for a variety of stories and experiences to put in our publication so that we can help those still struggling with acceptance and let them know they are not alone. Many LGBTQ+ feel they are the only ones going through what they are, and feeling the way they do because society won’t accept this part of them and don’t understand. Feeling alone is one of the worst things you can feel. Feeling like no one would understand or accept you, afraid to lose everyone you love is something that no one wants to feel. But that’s exactly how we feel before we come out.

Diamond in the Rough Publishing does not think anyone should feel alone. We want to make a difference and make sure that there is another outlet to show struggling LGBTQ+ they are not alone. We have thousands of YouTubers out there that were brave enough to share their experience’s with the world and we are reaching out to them and asking their permission to use their stories to help make a difference. We have also partnered with the LGBT Initiative in New York as well as Video Out a new organization that is going around New York and Long Island finding LGBTQ+ members and recording their coming out experiences and I just wanted to say a big thank you to them for helping us out and wanting to make difference with us. (Links will be provided at the bottom of the page if you would like to know more about these great organizations.) It’s so great to see that other people share in the same feelings we have and want to help others. But there is another group of people we are creating this book for and it’s not only for the supporters but for the people who don’t approve of who we are.

Most people don’t approve for religious reasons others just don’t understand why we are the way we are and it scares them. In writing this book not only do we look forward to helping LGBTQ+ with acceptance. We are also looking to help people understand how we feel and what we go through before coming out. To express that this is something that we are born with and no matter how hard we try to hide it, or pray it away it’s something that will always be inside us because just like heterosexuals it’s just who we are. A choice is something you can decide on and there are usually at least two different options. When your LGBTQ+ we have a choice, whether to be someone we’re not just to please others, or who we really and please ourselves. But being straight is not an option because that is not who we are or who will ever be.

So if you would like to help us help others and you are out and proud or know someone who is than please share your story with us today by emailing me at why8pride@gmail.com.

Together we can make a difference!

LGBT Initiative:

https://www.lgbt-initiative.org/this-is-who-we-are/ (In the top right corner of this page is another place you can submit your story.)

Video Out:

https://www.facebook.com/videoout/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvthXKflvZeDJ-eZmHvRkCQ