I found them to be aggravating. As encouraging as some of them were, many just made me angry. These kids can’t wait until things brighten up. For a lot of them, it won’t for a very long time. So many different factors play into their lives, and I think it’s relatively easy for those of us who have had it pretty good (on a sliding scale) to turn around and tell them to “hold out for a while.” These kids can’t wait. They need more.

But this boy, from this video that I just posted—he breaks my fucking heart. Not because of his sadness or his despair, or the fact that he had turned, at a very early age, to cutting himself; but rather because of his strength and resilience. 

He gives me strength. Him and his million reasons remind me why I do the work I do, why I speak out, and why I will never hide who I am. I hope and pray that every other queer kid on this planet finds their own million reasons to stay. To fight back and not let them win. 

We may not know each other, but we’re all fighting the same fight. 

Don’t ever forget this.