What's one problem that you can think of that isn't as serious as all the others us Americans are facing, but is still fought just as hard? No, I'm not racist and I'm not referring to the Mexican-Texas border that we for some reason thinks needs to be even tighter. I'm talking about gay rights. It is almost ridiculous how important such a trivial issue is to people that are "straight". We have bigger fish to fry and leaner meats to shake-n-bake, yet this "problem" is still being fought like some sort of brutal war, but this war has more layers than some.

Yes, there are people that don't believe that gays should be allowed to get married. There are even people that say that we should wipe out the gays, bi-sexuals, and lesbians, but what have they, or more correctly put we, ever done to those people fighting us. Yes, I'm seventeen and I'm bi-sexual. Some people think that my sexual preference is what makes me say, "Just let them [gays] have some peace and happiness." That is not why I'm saying this though. I'm saying it because I have seen and felt the struggle from the other side of the looking glass. The gay side.

My sexual preference has been a struggle for me since the second grade. Should you believe this? Well, that is your choice, but I believe that many people would be surprised to find out how young people are when they realize that they are attracted to the same sex, or both. Now, a few people may be wondering why I'd want to be what I am if it is a struggle. The answer is simple. Deep down, I know that I am attracted to both sexes, that is what truly makes me happy, but the struggle comes from the homophobes that I deal with from a day-to-day basis. Since I am bi, I do not have as many hardships and sad songs to sing as those that prefer only the same sex, but what I have been through has marked me just the same.

For example, my freshman year in high school. The most exciting and invigorating school year I've ever lived through is also one of the most mind-stimulating years. That year, I learned to become open. I made friends with others that were like me and we soon became close. We were our own little group of misfit brothers and sisters. They helped me open up and we helped each other through tough times. If it wasn't for them, I would have been too scared to celebrate the annual Day of Silence. That day I wore rainbow stockings and anything else that was rainbow that was hanging up in my closet. I wore my colors with pride as if I was a cheerleader on a game day. That Day of Silence was enjoyable. I was proud and happy. The only problem I had that day was a debate having to do with gays that caused me to break my silence, but even then I was proud to stand up for myself and my gay friends.

The next year's Day of Silence was a whole other story. I, of course, dressed in my colors again and held my head up high. In fact, I held my head up so high that a class mate decided to throw a rock at my head during P.E while me and a bi-sexual friend of mine were walking around the school's tennis courts, minding our own, happy business. That's right! I had a rock thrown at me because I was wearing rainbows!

Things only got worse. That same day I had to listen to people saying that gays didn't deserve a day. Apparently we haven't done anything spectacular enough to deserve a day. To put it into the words of one of my close-minded classmates, "The Mexicans don't even have a day! Why the heck do the gays get one? They haven't earned it." This remark saddens me. We don't want a Day of Silence. We don't want to mourn the deaths and suicides caused by gay hate crimes. Why does anybody think that we WANT to have a day where we show our true colors just to get attacked, beaten, or bullied. We may be different sexually, but our veins and blood all work with the same hearts and minds. We hurt to! So why bother hurting us more on such a sad day?

Why is this day sad? It is sad because we have to think about why we do it. We have a Day of Silence in honor of those that are gay or transexual that have been beaten, bullied, or discriminated against. Just look into it. You would be amazed at what you find when you open your eyes to the things people say and do to those that are different.

Have a heart and just treat people that are different with respect. You don't have to like it, but don't treat them like they are bad people. Give them a chance.