love it’s what makes the world go round every day
every day
every day men and women get married start families
men and women get married start families
men and women get married start families and show compassion for one another but
and show compassion for one another but
and show compassion for one another but what about those who love someone of the
what about those who love someone of the
what about those who love someone of the same gender the lgbtq+ community battles
same gender the lgbtq+ community battles
same gender the lgbtq+ community battles for the rights every single day in
for the rights every single day in
for the rights every single day in Congress courtrooms on the streets and
Congress courtrooms on the streets and
Congress courtrooms on the streets and in their own homes they fight to be able
in their own homes they fight to be able
in their own homes they fight to be able to walk down the street holding the hand
to walk down the street holding the hand
to walk down the street holding the hand of the person they love to be referred
of the person they love to be referred
of the person they love to be referred to with the proper pronouns and for
to with the proper pronouns and for
to with the proper pronouns and for their love to be recognized as real
their love to be recognized as real
their love to be recognized as real under the administration of our current
under the administration of our current
under the administration of our current president this community has been one of
president this community has been one of
president this community has been one of the minority groups to suffer greatly
the minority groups to suffer greatly
the minority groups to suffer greatly in January the president removed all
in January the president removed all
in January the president removed all content on LGBT civil rights from the
content on LGBT civil rights from the
content on LGBT civil rights from the White House website in February he
White House website in February he
White House website in February he revoked protections for transgender
revoked protections for transgender
revoked protections for transgender students on their use of Russians in
students on their use of Russians in
students on their use of Russians in public schools in March he rescinded
public schools in March he rescinded
public schools in March he rescinded protections for LGBT workers against
protections for LGBT workers against
protections for LGBT workers against discrimination in hiring and employment
discrimination in hiring and employment
discrimination in hiring and employment in April he finally showed some support
in April he finally showed some support
in April he finally showed some support and dropped a federal law over North
and dropped a federal law over North
and dropped a federal law over North Carolina’s statewide prohibition on LGBT
Carolina’s statewide prohibition on LGBT
Carolina’s statewide prohibition on LGBT equality however his support was
equality however his support was
equality however his support was short-lived and in July he signaled that
short-lived and in July he signaled that
short-lived and in July he signaled that the US military would not accept or
the US military would not accept or
the US military would not accept or allow transgender people to serve I’m
allow transgender people to serve I’m
allow transgender people to serve I’m now happy to say that that policy has
now happy to say that that policy has
now happy to say that that policy has been deemed unconstitutional and will no
been deemed unconstitutional and will no
been deemed unconstitutional and will no longer go into place in 2018 on October
longer go into place in 2018 on October
longer go into place in 2018 on October 11 2014 one of my closest friends came
11 2014 one of my closest friends came
11 2014 one of my closest friends came out to me as gay for her privacy I’ll
out to me as gay for her privacy I’ll
out to me as gay for her privacy I’ll refer to her as L always the first
refer to her as L always the first
refer to her as L always the first person L ever came out to and I will
person L ever came out to and I will
person L ever came out to and I will never forget the fear she had on her
never forget the fear she had on her
never forget the fear she had on her face because she didn’t know what my
face because she didn’t know what my
face because she didn’t know what my response would be whether I would accept
response would be whether I would accept
response would be whether I would accept her or push her out of my life
her or push her out of my life
her or push her out of my life I took her head with love and support
I took her head with love and support
I took her head with love and support and over the past three years I’ve been
and over the past three years I’ve been
and over the past three years I’ve been able to watch L grow more comfortable
able to watch L grow more comfortable
able to watch L grow more comfortable with herself she’s gone from hiding in
with herself she’s gone from hiding in
with herself she’s gone from hiding in the closet to talking to just her
the closet to talking to just her
the closet to talking to just her closest friends to now she expresses her
closest friends to now she expresses her
closest friends to now she expresses her pride to me every single day and tells
pride to me every single day and tells
pride to me every single day and tells me how she’s going to change the world
me how she’s going to change the world
me how she’s going to change the world for people like her however else closet
for people like her however else closet
for people like her however else closet has two doors one in which she opened to
has two doors one in which she opened to
has two doors one in which she opened to find accepting friendships and the other
find accepting friendships and the other
find accepting friendships and the other in which she doesn’t dare to touch one
in which she doesn’t dare to touch one
in which she doesn’t dare to touch one that remains locked
that remains locked
that remains locked behind that locked door are the most
behind that locked door are the most
behind that locked door are the most important people in Elle’s life the
important people in Elle’s life the
important people in Elle’s life the people that gave her her life the lgbtq+
people that gave her her life the lgbtq+
people that gave her her life the lgbtq+ community has not talked about in a
community has not talked about in a
community has not talked about in a positive way in her house and therefore
positive way in her house and therefore
positive way in her house and therefore she’s forced to stay quiet and keep that
she’s forced to stay quiet and keep that
she’s forced to stay quiet and keep that door locked the hate she’s heard at home
door locked the hate she’s heard at home
door locked the hate she’s heard at home through the hallways at school and over
through the hallways at school and over
through the hallways at school and over social media has helped her fall into
social media has helped her fall into
social media has helped her fall into depression l frequently comes to me with
depression l frequently comes to me with
depression l frequently comes to me with tears rushing down her face telling me
tears rushing down her face telling me
tears rushing down her face telling me she will never be able to love who she
she will never be able to love who she
she will never be able to love who she wants saying she’s not worthy of love
wants saying she’s not worthy of love
wants saying she’s not worthy of love and saying that she’s a disgrace
and saying that she’s a disgrace
and saying that she’s a disgrace Ellis attempted to take her life several
Ellis attempted to take her life several
Ellis attempted to take her life several times and if you ask her why she’ll tell
times and if you ask her why she’ll tell
times and if you ask her why she’ll tell you because I live in a place where I am
you because I live in a place where I am
you because I live in a place where I am hated have few rights and cannot express
hated have few rights and cannot express
hated have few rights and cannot express myself so tell me why why should I stay
myself so tell me why why should I stay
myself so tell me why why should I stay here in a place where I am not loved for
here in a place where I am not loved for
here in a place where I am not loved for who my heart was born loving this is not
who my heart was born loving this is not
who my heart was born loving this is not the way people should go through life
the way people should go through life
the way people should go through life show them support show them someone
show them support show them someone
show them support show them someone cares show them they are valuable it is
cares show them they are valuable it is
cares show them they are valuable it is recognized pretty much everywhere that
recognized pretty much everywhere that
recognized pretty much everywhere that men and women can love one another that
men and women can love one another that
men and women can love one another that men and women can start families and get
men and women can start families and get
men and women can start families and get married however the idea of two men or
married however the idea of two men or
married however the idea of two men or two women doing the same exact thing
two women doing the same exact thing
two women doing the same exact thing still scares people
still scares people
still scares people but why what have these people ever done
but why what have these people ever done
but why what have these people ever done to you have they hated you for loving
to you have they hated you for loving
to you have they hated you for loving have they shamed you for expressing your
have they shamed you for expressing your
have they shamed you for expressing your gender have they tried to convert you no
gender have they tried to convert you no
gender have they tried to convert you no they protest peacefully simply voicing
they protest peacefully simply voicing
they protest peacefully simply voicing their opinion and raising awareness for
their opinion and raising awareness for
their opinion and raising awareness for their basic human rights yet they get
their basic human rights yet they get
their basic human rights yet they get responses of hate speech threats loss of
responses of hate speech threats loss of
responses of hate speech threats loss of employment and in some cases they are
employment and in some cases they are
employment and in some cases they are killed for love killed for wanting the
killed for love killed for wanting the
killed for love killed for wanting the right to love this is 2017 and religion
right to love this is 2017 and religion
right to love this is 2017 and religion and homosexuality still conflict with
and homosexuality still conflict with
and homosexuality still conflict with one another yet people are born gay and
one another yet people are born gay and
one another yet people are born gay and we are taught religion nobody is born
we are taught religion nobody is born
we are taught religion nobody is born knowing what the Bible the Torah or any
knowing what the Bible the Torah or any
knowing what the Bible the Torah or any other holy book says so I encourage you
other holy book says so I encourage you
other holy book says so I encourage you to please do not use religion as an
to please do not use religion as an
to please do not use religion as an excuse to hate people for intend LGBT
excuse to hate people for intend LGBT
excuse to hate people for intend LGBT youth say they live in a place that is
youth say they live in a place that is
youth say they live in a place that is not accepting of them that’s 40% 92% of
not accepting of them that’s 40% 92% of
not accepting of them that’s 40% 92% of youth in this array say they hear
youth in this array say they hear
youth in this array say they hear negative messages about being LGBT
negative messages about being LGBT
negative messages about being LGBT mainly through school social media and
mainly through school social media and
mainly through school social media and even their peers while is not a definite
even their peers while is not a definite
even their peers while is not a definite statistic due to many people not being
statistic due to many people not being
statistic due to many people not being out roughly 10 percent of America’s
out roughly 10 percent of America’s
out roughly 10 percent of America’s population refers to themselves as a
population refers to themselves as a
population refers to themselves as a member of the lgbtq+ community that’s
member of the lgbtq+ community that’s
member of the lgbtq+ community that’s every 1 in 10 people these people are
every 1 in 10 people these people are
every 1 in 10 people these people are also more likely to attempt and/or
also more likely to attempt and/or
also more likely to attempt and/or commit suicide not only because of the
commit suicide not only because of the
commit suicide not only because of the hate they directly receive but also what
hate they directly receive but also what
hate they directly receive but also what they hear around them being different
they hear around them being different
they hear around them being different shouldn’t make people targets being
shouldn’t make people targets being
shouldn’t make people targets being different is what makes us all beautiful
different is what makes us all beautiful
different is what makes us all beautiful complex and individual whether someone
complex and individual whether someone
complex and individual whether someone is gay lesbian transgender bisexual
is gay lesbian transgender bisexual
is gay lesbian transgender bisexual pansexual asexual the list can go on
pansexual asexual the list can go on
pansexual asexual the list can go on nobody deserves to be bullied or hated
nobody deserves to be bullied or hated
nobody deserves to be bullied or hated for who they love or the gender they
for who they love or the gender they
for who they love or the gender they identify as so step up show support to
identify as so step up show support to
identify as so step up show support to your fellow humans educate yourself on
your fellow humans educate yourself on
your fellow humans educate yourself on the rights they do and do not have
the rights they do and do not have
the rights they do and do not have coming out can be hard so be an ally
coming out can be hard so be an ally
coming out can be hard so be an ally respect a person’s pronouns show them
respect a person’s pronouns show them
respect a person’s pronouns show them they are people to help them gain rights
they are people to help them gain rights
they are people to help them gain rights so they too can be with the ones that
so they too can be with the ones that
so they too can be with the ones that they love because in the end equal
they love because in the end equal
they love because in the end equal rights for others does not mean fewer
rights for others does not mean fewer
rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you this is a fight for basic
rights for you this is a fight for basic
rights for you this is a fight for basic human rights and LGBTQ plus members and
human rights and LGBTQ plus members and
human rights and LGBTQ plus members and allies will not surrender because love
allies will not surrender because love
allies will not surrender because love is love and not about gender this is
is love and not about gender this is
is love and not about gender this is love let people love
love let people love
love let people love [Applause]
”
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