I have to start off with this: I don't normally get political. I keep my views to myself as a safety feature since I know how heated and brutal those conversations can get. The fact that I've even thought of writing this should say how strongly I feel about the ignorance I've seen. If anyone's feelings are "hurt" from this, well, get your facts straight and I won't have to speak up.

The situation that I encountered early the other morning was a Facebook status that a friend had shared from their friend saying this, "ALERT! DANGER! Union county NC parents. Your school system is requiring 3rd graders to read books about transgenderism. These books are designed to not just inform but recruit. Be Who You Are and The Gender Fairy are two titles. Get to your school and let them know your opinion." That, my friends, is a direct quote and all of the status this man gave.

Now, I am not mad he doesn't like transgender people. I am not irritated that he wants parents from my county, in the school system I grew up in, to say how much they don't agree in educating their children about these people and maybe even themselves. I appreciate he used the word "inform" rather than brain wash like most do. What I disagree with, what is misinformation, what made me rage enough to write this was that this man thinks you can recruit someone to be transgender. Being transgender isn't something you just decided one day to spend thousands of dollars to become. First of all, you know that you don't feel comfortable in your own gender for a long while. I have friends who have known since before they even knew what the concept of being transgender was. They were not recruited, it is how they feel and what they already knew before. This is not a new subject, this is not a fad, these are people who all have rights to behappy. Maybe, if you took the time to ask someone who was going through this, or tried to see their side, you would know this is not something they can help. Just like you can't help putting things out on the internet without having all the facts.

Facts like there's nothing out there about the actual implementation of these books in the school systems, and you know the media would have a ball with this. I found things about a Michigan teacher reading to her class about cross dressing, the bathrooms in Charlotte-Mecklenberg schools going against the unjust law put in place. I found suicides because of bullying, but nothing about what this person has said. From his comments, his daughter told him they were doing this at her elementary school. One elementary school out of at least 21 in solely Union County, NC. Instead of causing a panic in the people of your homophobic society, you should take it up with your daughter's school and teacher first and make sure it's not just one person who is teaching your daughter to be accepting of all and have the facts you seem to be missing about a sensitive subject for all communities.

Now for my opinion on the subject straight out. I am a cis, white, heterosexual female. I have seen all sides of this argument and kept mostly to myself till now. I have been yelled at on the internet for not being queer or bisexual, or trans because people on both sides are so angry at what they cannot accept. I have friends who are transgender, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, gay, lesbian, queer, and non-binary. I don't give two shits what you like as long as you're a good person. If you're not a good person, I would never use your sexuality to hurt you. If you respect me, I'll respect you. Simple. I've never understood why it matters to other people what changes they decide to make to their lives. I've never understood the need to shove them into the square we live in when that person is a triangle. We are all people, we all are living with hearts beating. Why is this so hard for you to believe? Why would they need to recruit people to be like them? Are they starting an army??? I just don't understand the intolerance when it has no effect on you. You don't want to understand? Fine, but why do your children have to suffer losing friends because they simply are different? Why? My grandmother didn't like black people, but that didn't stop my father from accepting them.

This rant was never meant to leave my head, but after seeing that post, I knew I had to have my opinion heard somehow.

For the intolerant people: Please tell me why? If it comes down to the Bible, then why does it matter to you if they go to Hell? Are you worried you'll see them there?

For my LGBTQ+ and Allies: Keep going. Get your word out. My silence has been broken, and together with our words and actions, there will be less intolerance one day like there is less racism now. Fight.