okay okay it’s on six and a half months after coming out and she was gone
after coming out and she was gone
after coming out and she was gone suicide suicide took my closest friend
suicide suicide took my closest friend
suicide suicide took my closest friend why was the idea of her just not good
why was the idea of her just not good
why was the idea of her just not good enough last year a dear friend of mine
enough last year a dear friend of mine
enough last year a dear friend of mine came out as transgender I remember the
came out as transgender I remember the
came out as transgender I remember the phone call she phoned me and told me
phone call she phoned me and told me
phone call she phoned me and told me about how it relates that her mother was
about how it relates that her mother was
about how it relates that her mother was her mother had always said that she
her mother had always said that she
her mother had always said that she wasn’t born a man we spoke for about 20
wasn’t born a man we spoke for about 20
wasn’t born a man we spoke for about 20 minutes when I heard a shout a deep
minutes when I heard a shout a deep
minutes when I heard a shout a deep manly shout scream her male name I heard
manly shout scream her male name I heard
manly shout scream her male name I heard a door open and the phone went dead I
a door open and the phone went dead I
a door open and the phone went dead I texted her immediately after I got a
texted her immediately after I got a
texted her immediately after I got a response no emotion no emojis just I’m
response no emotion no emojis just I’m
response no emotion no emojis just I’m fine I saw her three days later with a
fine I saw her three days later with a
fine I saw her three days later with a black left eye and a cut her lip cliche
black left eye and a cut her lip cliche
black left eye and a cut her lip cliche I know but my heart sank I asked her
I know but my heart sank I asked her
I know but my heart sank I asked her what had happened and she told me about
what had happened and she told me about
what had happened and she told me about how her father had hit her across the
how her father had hit her across the
how her father had hit her across the face hard I knew this man I knew her
face hard I knew this man I knew her
face hard I knew this man I knew her father I had been to her house many
father I had been to her house many
father I had been to her house many times and he was perfectly fine with the
times and he was perfectly fine with the
times and he was perfectly fine with the lgbtqia+ community and yet when he was
lgbtqia+ community and yet when he was
lgbtqia+ community and yet when he was faced with his own son coming out as
faced with his own son coming out as
faced with his own son coming out as transgender he freaked he didn’t know
transgender he freaked he didn’t know
transgender he freaked he didn’t know how to handle it in the question of
how to handle it in the question of
how to handle it in the question of fight or flight
fight or flight
fight or flight he chose fight and he chose it hard
every two hours and 11 minutes a person
every two hours and 11 minutes a person under the age of 25 commits suicide
under the age of 25 commits suicide
under the age of 25 commits suicide that’s ten people every day this happens
that’s ten people every day this happens
that’s ten people every day this happens in schools one in seven high school
in schools one in seven high school
in schools one in seven high school students have considered suicide one in
students have considered suicide one in
students have considered suicide one in 14 have attempted suicide
experts say that by simply telling a
experts say that by simply telling a suicidal teen that they are valid and
suicidal teen that they are valid and
suicidal teen that they are valid and accepted we can lower school suicide
accepted we can lower school suicide
accepted we can lower school suicide rates by 90% imagine that a world where
rates by 90% imagine that a world where
rates by 90% imagine that a world where students actually get through high
students actually get through high
students actually get through high school without ever considering or
school without ever considering or
school without ever considering or attempting suicide but do you know what
attempting suicide but do you know what
attempting suicide but do you know what drives denial especially in high school
drives denial especially in high school
drives denial especially in high school parents some parents cannot and will not
parents some parents cannot and will not
parents some parents cannot and will not accept their child this is something
accept their child this is something
accept their child this is something that I simply cannot understand how
that I simply cannot understand how
that I simply cannot understand how could you not love your child
could you not love your child
could you not love your child unconditionally
I mean what’s more difficult accepting
I mean what’s more difficult accepting your child for who they are or burying
your child for who they are or burying
your child for who they are or burying them in the idea that they are just not
them in the idea that they are just not
them in the idea that they are just not good enough
nearly 50% of transgender teens have
nearly 50% of transgender teens have considered suicide a third have made a
considered suicide a third have made a
considered suicide a third have made a serious attempt in total 22% of all
serious attempt in total 22% of all
serious attempt in total 22% of all transgender youth have successfully
transgender youth have successfully
transgender youth have successfully committed suicide suicide plagues our
committed suicide suicide plagues our
committed suicide suicide plagues our society and robs us of the richest and
society and robs us of the richest and
society and robs us of the richest and most important people people with unique
most important people people with unique
most important people people with unique value but people like you and me are the
value but people like you and me are the
value but people like you and me are the reasons that they are not here with us
reasons that they are not here with us
reasons that they are not here with us today a large part of my belief system
today a large part of my belief system
today a large part of my belief system is that hate is from within if you
is that hate is from within if you
is that hate is from within if you Harbor hatred towards someone else then
Harbor hatred towards someone else then
Harbor hatred towards someone else then you Harbor hatred towards yourself
you Harbor hatred towards yourself
you Harbor hatred towards yourself essentially you hate yourself after all
essentially you hate yourself after all
essentially you hate yourself after all we shouldn’t judge those who sin
we shouldn’t judge those who sin
we shouldn’t judge those who sin differently than we do meio homophobia
differently than we do meio homophobia
differently than we do meio homophobia easily the most predominant and kalokhe
easily the most predominant and kalokhe
easily the most predominant and kalokhe realized type of hate in the world
realized type of hate in the world
realized type of hate in the world basically
basically
basically straight males are scared that a gay man
straight males are scared that a gay man
straight males are scared that a gay man is going to do to them what they do to
is going to do to them what they do to
is going to do to them what they do to women and that a lesbian will treat
women and that a lesbian will treat
women and that a lesbian will treat their woman better than they ever can
their woman better than they ever can
their woman better than they ever can the male society is about masculinity
the male society is about masculinity
the male society is about masculinity about getting girls I mean honestly
about getting girls I mean honestly
about getting girls I mean honestly going to a single sex school I have a
going to a single sex school I have a
going to a single sex school I have a first-hand experience of this boys at my
first-hand experience of this boys at my
first-hand experience of this boys at my school are scared of me because I’m
school are scared of me because I’m
school are scared of me because I’m different but they had to learn to
different but they had to learn to
different but they had to learn to tolerate because I wasn’t moving this
tolerate because I wasn’t moving this
tolerate because I wasn’t moving this however is not the case for most people
however is not the case for most people
however is not the case for most people most people will choose to not have to
most people will choose to not have to
most people will choose to not have to deal with that which makes them
deal with that which makes them
deal with that which makes them uncomfortable rather than facing it
uncomfortable rather than facing it
uncomfortable rather than facing it head-on I mean come on if you have the
head-on I mean come on if you have the
head-on I mean come on if you have the option to remove that which makes you
option to remove that which makes you
option to remove that which makes you uncomfortable will you take it human
uncomfortable will you take it human
uncomfortable will you take it human nature dictates yes but I would like to
nature dictates yes but I would like to
nature dictates yes but I would like to challenge everyone here I would like to
challenge everyone here I would like to
challenge everyone here I would like to invite every single person in this
invite every single person in this
invite every single person in this audience to defy human nature go up to
audience to defy human nature go up to
audience to defy human nature go up to that person that makes you uncomfortable
that person that makes you uncomfortable
that person that makes you uncomfortable and get to the heart of that which makes
and get to the heart of that which makes
and get to the heart of that which makes you uncomfortable I mean what scares you
you uncomfortable I mean what scares you
you uncomfortable I mean what scares you difference diversity change speaking of
difference diversity change speaking of
difference diversity change speaking of schools did you know that 41% of
schools did you know that 41% of
schools did you know that 41% of teachers feel uncomfortable responding
teachers feel uncomfortable responding
teachers feel uncomfortable responding to questions about the lgbtqia+
to questions about the lgbtqia+
to questions about the lgbtqia+ community only 1/3 of teachers engage in
community only 1/3 of teachers engage in
community only 1/3 of teachers engage in efforts to create a safe environment
efforts to create a safe environment
efforts to create a safe environment that means 2/3 did it in the place that
that means 2/3 did it in the place that
that means 2/3 did it in the place that most people spend 12 years at we have
most people spend 12 years at we have
most people spend 12 years at we have teachers that don’t care
teachers that don’t care
teachers that don’t care teachers that are uncomfortable being
teachers that are uncomfortable being
teachers that are uncomfortable being around their very own students
around their very own students
around their very own students I mean teachers the adults that students
I mean teachers the adults that students
I mean teachers the adults that students look to to teach us the tools and the
look to to teach us the tools and the
look to to teach us the tools and the knowledge that we need to lead a
knowledge that we need to lead a
knowledge that we need to lead a successful life
successful life
successful life and yet we have teachers that simply
and yet we have teachers that simply
and yet we have teachers that simply do not care staying with schools did you
do not care staying with schools did you
do not care staying with schools did you know that 11 in 100 high school students
know that 11 in 100 high school students
know that 11 in 100 high school students are of diverse sexual orientation or
are of diverse sexual orientation or
are of diverse sexual orientation or different gender identity basically
different gender identity basically
different gender identity basically they’re queer of those 11 only 3 will
they’re queer of those 11 only 3 will
they’re queer of those 11 only 3 will come out during high school this is
come out during high school this is
come out during high school this is because high school is by no means an
because high school is by no means an
because high school is by no means an accepting environment for queers this
accepting environment for queers this
accepting environment for queers this can however be changed with a few
can however be changed with a few
can however be changed with a few students with the right mindset we can
students with the right mindset we can
students with the right mindset we can revolutionize the way that schools
revolutionize the way that schools
revolutionize the way that schools approach those with a different gender
approach those with a different gender
approach those with a different gender identity or diverse sexual orientation
identity or diverse sexual orientation
identity or diverse sexual orientation students are after all the future of
students are after all the future of
students are after all the future of tomorrow everyone is responsible for the
tomorrow everyone is responsible for the
tomorrow everyone is responsible for the 9 for not accepting someone whether that
9 for not accepting someone whether that
9 for not accepting someone whether that person is blonde brunette tall short fat
person is blonde brunette tall short fat
person is blonde brunette tall short fat thin definitely colored or even remotely
thin definitely colored or even remotely
thin definitely colored or even remotely different from you you have denied them
different from you you have denied them
different from you you have denied them even I’m responsiveness and I’m on the
even I’m responsiveness and I’m on the
even I’m responsiveness and I’m on the stage preaching to you telling you to
stage preaching to you telling you to
stage preaching to you telling you to accept people and yet I’m responsible of
accept people and yet I’m responsible of
accept people and yet I’m responsible of exactly the same thing
exactly the same thing
exactly the same thing you cannot take your denial back but you
you cannot take your denial back but you
you cannot take your denial back but you can apologize go up that person that you
can apologize go up that person that you
can apologize go up that person that you have denied and tell them that you are
have denied and tell them that you are
have denied and tell them that you are sorry tell them that they are valid tell
sorry tell them that they are valid tell
sorry tell them that they are valid tell them that they are accepted otherwise
them that they are accepted otherwise
them that they are accepted otherwise you are just as bad as everyone else and
you are just as bad as everyone else and
you are just as bad as everyone else and one day when it is too late you will be
one day when it is too late you will be
one day when it is too late you will be sorry to everyone that has been denied I
sorry to everyone that has been denied I
sorry to everyone that has been denied I called you be a maverick
called you be a maverick
called you be a maverick yes some of you may recognize this from
yes some of you may recognize this from
yes some of you may recognize this from the vlogger Logan Paul but it has a far
the vlogger Logan Paul but it has a far
the vlogger Logan Paul but it has a far deeper meaning than just his breath
deeper meaning than just his breath
deeper meaning than just his breath being a maverick is about working hard
being a maverick is about working hard
being a maverick is about working hard every day fighting hard every day
every day fighting hard every day
every day fighting hard every day dreaming big following your dreams
dreaming big following your dreams
dreaming big following your dreams looking at life through the lens of
looking at life through the lens of
looking at life through the lens of possibility the entering the universe
possibility the entering the universe
possibility the entering the universe and ultimately being your
and ultimately being your
and ultimately being your self after all I owe no explanations for
self after all I owe no explanations for
self after all I owe no explanations for my flaws I don’t have to just find my
my flaws I don’t have to just find my
my flaws I don’t have to just find my past my mistakes or my insecurities I am
past my mistakes or my insecurities I am
past my mistakes or my insecurities I am growing and learning let me live thank
growing and learning let me live thank
growing and learning let me live thank you
you
you [Applause]
”
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