Hope - Love - Unity

Everyone deserves the right to choose their own path in this life without fear. Love comes from the heart; Love knows no color. Love does not differentiate between gender. Love is the purest and most veracious emotion that we can share.

In today’s world, some people still have an issue with accepting that love comes in all forms, that love has no labels.

Having several close friends who are amongst the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. I have seen firsthand the pain, anguish, and abasement that they face each and every day simply for wanting to be free and happy. It's heartrending.

These are some of the very best and truest people that I have ever had the honor of calling my friends and I am glorified to have them in my life.

I boldly dedicate this Pride Playlist to each and every person who deserves to live in happiness and without judgment or fear. Wave your flag high and proud my darlings and be proud of all that has been accomplished in the name of free love.

Did you know that more than 30% of gay men will endure some form of a violent attack in their lifetimes? Around 25% of lesbian females will be violated sexually. These numbers grow considerably if race and skin color becomes a factor.

YUNGBLUD - hope for the underrated youth

If I left today, Would you wait for me or would you throw us all away? Let a magazine say Should I call her or wait? Cut all of my hair off, and change my second name? From a juvenile stay. And just take my heart out, that'll make it better, I won't be sorry. Better late than never, Just take my heart out, that'll make it better. Hiding all my feelings but I know that I'm not dreaming 'Cause there's hope for the underrated youth, And I'm so far from telling you this truth. 'Cause you keep on pulling me down, pulling me down, pulling me down. Yeah, there's hope for the underrated youth;

Every day is an episode, Like fiction mixed with something true. My head won't let me go like if I died you'd never know. I made friends with the dark parts that are inside of my mind. It's headin' up to the cool match back in juvenile rhymes. And my eyes are about to blow, But that's all part of this freak show.

My personality got f##ked up by the Adderall, Got called an alien for being myself. I ain't got the patience to be someone else, So just take my heart out, that'll make it better, I won't be sorry, Better late than never. Just take my heart out, that'll make it better. Hiding all my feelings but I know that I'm not dreaming 'Cause there's hope for the underrated youth.

And I'm so far from telling you this truth. 'Cause you keep on pulling me down, pulling me down, pulling me down. Yeah, there's hope for the underrated youth.

If I die, would you cry? Would you come and bury me alive?

If I die, would you cry? Would you come and bury me alive?

More than 10 million adults identify with the LGBT community. The number is continually on the rise as more people feel comfortable "coming out."

Approximately 1,218 hate crimes occurred as a result of a person's sexual orientation.

Approximately 1 in every 4 LGBT people has undergone some type of discrimination in their lifetime.

Of the 1,218 hate crimes, an estimated 764 of the crimes were a result of anti-gay biases. An estimated 21.5% of the crimes were a result of a mixed group bias, whether the perpetrators were against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, or transgender people.

As many as 30% of transgender workers have reported some type of discrimination in the workplace, including being fired or not getting a promotion because of their sexual identity.

It's estimated that 9.1% of gay couples and 4.9% of lesbian couples over the age of 65 live in poverty due to a lifetime of discrimination in the workplace.

In 2016, the latest full year reported, there were 77 total homicides of people from the LGBT community. The latest information reported for 2017 shows 36 homicides of LGBT people in the first half of the year. The numbers have steadily risen since 2012, when only 25 LGBT homicides occurred.

Lady Gaga - Til It Happens To You

You tell me: "It gets better, it gets better in time" You say I'll pull myself together, pull it together "You'll be fine". Tell me, what the hell do you know? What do you know? Tell me, how the hell could you know?

Til it happens to you, you don't know how it feels;How it feels

Til it happens to you, you won't know, It won't be real No, it won't be real, Won't know how it feels. You tell me: "Hold your head up. Hold your head up and be strong. 'Cause, when you fall, you gotta get up; You gotta get up and move on" Tell me, how the hell can you talk? How can you talk? 'Cause until you walk where I walk, It's just all talk, Til it happens to you, you don't know how it feels, How it feels, Til it happens to you, you won't know

It won't be real (how could you know?) No, it won't be real (how could you know?) Won't know how I feel, Till your world burns and crashes, Till you're at the end, the end of your rope. Till you're standing in my shoes.I don't wanna hear nothing from you, from you, from you; 'Cause you don't know, Til it happens to you, you don't know how I feel

How I feel, how I feel, Til it happens to you, you won't know. It won't be real (how could you know?) No, it won't be real (how could you know?) Won't know how it feels. Til it happens to you, happens to you, happens to you. Happens to you, happens to you, happens to you (How could you know?)

Til it happens to you, you won't know how I feel

People within the LGBT community attempt suicide between 2 and 6 times more than heterosexuals. LGBT youth attempt suicide 5 times more than non-LGBT youth. In addition, LGBT youth are 5 times more likely to need medical attention as a result of their suicide attempt than non-LGBT youth. In a study of more than 27,000 transgender people, 40% of them admitted to attempting to commit suicide at least once in their life. Almost 95% of the respondents claimed to have done so before they reached age 25.

Some other songs that I encourage you to listen to are:

Hold Each Other – A Great Big World

Somebody to Love – Queen

Love is Love – Trey Pearson

All I Want is To Be Your Girl – Holly Miranda

All the Lovers – Kylie Minogue

Constant Craving – k.d. lang

Come to My Window – Melissa Etheridge

She Keeps Me Warm – Mary Lambert

Power of Two – Indigo Girls

The fear of coming out that many in the LGBT community experience increases their risk of depression and/or anxiety as much as 3 times.

Almost 30% of people in the LGBT community suffer from some type of substance abuse. In the general population, 9% of people suffer from some type of substance abuse.

Almost 25% of the LGBT community suffers from alcohol abuse. Comparatively, just 10% of the general population suffers from alcohol abuse.

The hate and judgment have GOT TO STOP!

My final words are:

I love you, I respect you, you are good and you are worthy of happiness.

Hozier - Take Me To Church

A touching video that you should definitely pay attention to.