"I never wanted to be in a situation where I felt like I had to change myself or to hide parts of myself to make other people feel comfortable. For the sole purpose of making other people feel comfortable." 

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Reflecting on the feeling of having to hide to make others feel comfortable and why visibility is important. Why having a voice and speaking up for others who don't have the same luxuries as us is important. Special mention of a particular @gaynarratives listener who shares their perspective from a completely different part of the world, where being gay is just not accepted and could mean endangering oneself if exposed.

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"So I'm like I need to talk to you. You need to drive out to LA...we have to talk. And she said 'Are you okay? What's going on? Are you in danger'? And I told her 'No, no, it's not like that'. I just NEED to talk to you."

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Special reunion with Ryan, a friend that I grew up with since we were in 2nd grade. After so many years of navigating through our own separate journeys in discovering our identity as gay men, we come together and reflect on the past. Join us on a roller coaster while we have a raw conversation from the anxiety of coming out, to strange feelings of attraction towards our high school teachers, to the lack of role models & sexual resources that would have helped us prepare more for adulthood. 

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Notes/resources:

Sexual health and education for the LGBTQ+ community is still lacking. Back when we were growing up, it was almost non existent and we were constantly bombarded with what was considered the "normal" male & female sexual representation. We saw it everywhere from TV, our families, movies, school, etc. but what we didn't see were the real resources that we needed, growing up as gay kids. 

Below are some resources that we wish we had:

• https://sexetc.org/sex-ed/info-center/faqs?pageNum=1&topic%5B%5D=stories-lgbtq
• https://sexetc.org/sex-ed/info-center/stories/?pageNum=1&topic%5B%5D=stories-lgbtq
• https://www.glsen.org/activity/gender-triangle-education-guide
• https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sexual-orientation/sexual-orientation

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“Because without role models like the three people that I mentioned today and others in my life, I definitely wouldn't have been able to be an out, proud, gay man that can stand up tall today and know my own value and know my own worth."

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Role models can be anybody in your life that has made an impact, big or small. They are people who you may have aspired to be or maybe you saw positive qualities in them that you wanted to embody yourself. They can be a family member, friend, or that 5th grade teacher who made you feel seen and heard. Reflect on the role models in your life and take a moment to appreciate them. If you can, reach out to them and let them know the positive impact they've had on you as a person today!

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