I'd just like to start out by recognizing that I came into this world with quite a bit of privilege as I am a white, cis-gendered male, which systematically makes my life easier and presents me with various benefits over those who have different racial and gender identities than myself. However, I was also born gay, which is an identity that has exposed me to various amounts of discrimination and prejudice throughout my life. I do know that this discrimination also could have been much worse had I been a different race or gender or from a different part of the country or world as well as being gay. I do, however, still face discrimination and hate speech occasionally throughout my life.

This past week I was on my way to see a friend and was driving through a town I don't usually go through. My windows were down since the weather was nice and I was playing music just like I would any other day. As I pulled up to a stoplight I noticed two guys about my age riding towards me on bikes. The boy in front slowly approached the side of my car as expected since he was riding in my direction. However, as he passed my car he looked through my window and yelled "faggot."

This caught me off guard because I've never had a stranger direct hate speech like that towards me. Of course I've heard people use it before just generally, which is still upsetting, but never has anyone ever just yelled "faggot" at me. I'm not really sure why he would have done it either. Maybe it was because my appearance doesn't suite his idea of masculinity enough to deserve respect. Maybe it was because my music choice for the day of Beyonce just wasn't what expected from another guy, and that led him to yell the words that society has taught him can be used to attack individuals who do not fit into the "normal" heteronormative box. Or maybe he has gained empowerment from the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando where the LGBTQ+ community was hit incredibly hard by an act of violence fueled by hatred.

Clearly, being called "faggot" is not the worst thing that could have happened to me. I've been fortunate enough to have never faced violence as the result of my sexual orientation. However, if recent widely publicized acts of violence against the LGBTQ+ cause more homophobes to start to act on their feelings, then it is clear that we have a lot more progress to make. Hateful words and actions could lead to more and more LGBTQ+ individuals facing isolation in their communities and families.

I do not plan to allow this one verbal attack to change the ways that I express myself or act. I have learned a lot about how many outside of the LGBTQ+ community view myself and other members within it over the past few weeks. There is a lot more that can be done to confront the issue of homophobia throughout the world. As we address these problems though, I will continue to live life as my true self and show the world that I am proud and unafraid.