He, She , They, Them All Start with Me

She, He, They, Them All start with me

12 year old Me

Them: “be yourself everyone else is taken

Me: but I’m scared to be myself, what if people don’t like me?

Them: the only one you hurt for not being yourself, is you

10 years later…

Them: *votes against equal rights marriage*

Me: do you still like me?

Them: yes, why?

Me: Well I’m a girl and I have the most amazing girlfriend that I would like to marry one day

Them: well you might have to reconsider because that could be illegal sometime soon

Me: but didn’t you tell me to be myself?

Them: yes but not that much

Me: what do you mean not that much? Am I too much?

Them: you aren’t too much but the community you say your in, is

Me: how come? Does it affect you?

Them: it’s just wrong

Me: but it is real, it is me

Them: no it’s not. it’s just who society has shaped you to be

Me: I don’t think you understand. This is not something I learned, it is genuinely me. I am the same girl I was 10 years ago when you told me to just be myself

Them: not if you have a girlfriend now, you didn’t have one back then

Me: but who I am on the inside is all the same. If anything I am happier. Isn’t that a good thing?

Them: I am glad you are happy but dating her is still wrong

Me: but I love her

Them: you only think you do. That’s not normal.

Me: but didn’t you say that the only one I would be hurting by not being myself is me?

Them: yes, but what is your point?

Me: well to me, normal is dating and marrying a girl even though she is the same sex. I know it’s not how everyone sees it but it is what comes natural to me.

Them: well that’s just not natural

Me: if I marry this girl, will it hurt you?

Them: it’s just crazy

Me: does crazy now equate to illegal?

Them: No, unless they hurt someone or themselves

Me: so why would me marrying her be illegal if it doesn’t hurt me or anyone?

Them: it’s just against Christianity and what is deemed acceptable and just wrong

Me: I thought religion was our own basic right

Them: it is

Me: so what if I choose to believe god will love me, for me.

Them: I guess you can.

Me: can I ask another question? More of a scenario

Them: sure

Me: if someone were to physically hurt you, that’s illegal correct?

Them: of course that could ruin my life

Me: so then what if I did marry this girl, would this hurt you in any way? Say you didn’t even know me, would you physically be hurt if I put a ring on her finger even though you would never see anything but a document with a few names on it?

Them: I wouldn’t physically be hurt it’s just wrong

Me: what if I said I have a different definition of what is wrong

Them: what do you mean?

Me: I think that it is wrong to vote against equal marriage

Them: I disagree

Me: that’s okay if you disagree and you don’t understand it. But I don’t think you should punish people for being themselves.

Them: I just…

Me: You make it seem like those who take comfort in a rainbow pride flag are monsters holding up a gun

Them: no that’s not what we think

Me: then why punish us and make our love illegal

Them: because it’s not the same

Me: my love is your love. Love is love. She, he, they, then, all start with me.