There is so much strife and pain in the LGBT+ community. We have had to deal with bigoted parents, losing our faith communities because of who we are, and violence, just to name a few. It can be very difficult to exist as a queer individual in a heteronormative society. However, while there is still progress to be made for LGBT+ equality, society as a whole has changed dramatically in the past few years. The legalization of same-sex marriage polarized the country for quite some time, but it seems now that the average person is at least tolerant of the idea of two people of the same gender getting married.

So why do we create more pain for ourselves and each other by pitting our minority community against the rest of the world?

Yes, we are hated by many, but when we return that hate, we are just as bad as our oppressors are. When we go looking for homophobia and transphobia under every rock, all we're doing is wearing ourselves out, and diverting our focus from all the amazing things that are going on in our lives. I know hate is out there and very real, but there is no need to seek it out and try to "fight" it every day. There is not much to be accomplished with unstructured anger, and identifying as "persecuted," will only make us feel beaten down when we should be standing up with pride.

Sometimes the very best (and often the only) thing we can do is just be ourselves and know that our positive energy will eventually attract good people. Furthermore, there is a difference between homo/transphobia and simply uneducated people. People, especially young people, are always learning and growing. Check back in a few years and see if they're still the same. Do the same with yourself. Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't mean you're not safe. My brother and I are of different religions. We don't agree on many points. I'm still safe sleeping in the room next to him. Someone not liking your sexuality isn't the same as them threatening to stone you to death. It may make you uncomfortable, but discomfort is not the same as being threatened with violence, losing your job, or being excommunicated.

The entire world is never going to be on our side. That's the sad reality. There will always be hate in the world, whether someone hates you because you're gay, or because you're a woman, you're Japanese, you're a Muslim, you're "too liberal," you're an atheist, or simply because you're not like them. Tolerance goes both ways. Just as people can't force us not to be queer, we can't force people to accept us for who we are. So long as they're not hurting us, I say we let them live in their ignorance and hate while we go on with our lives and be the best queers we can be.