Please critique ASAP! This is a 'would be' finished product so I'd like to know what you think. Thank you and happy thanksgiving!
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The walk down the halls to get to class has always been a horrifying experience for me. During this brief period of time, questions pop up, such as: What are they saying behind my back? What do they think of me? Why are they laughing? Is it because of how I'm dressed? After working with the homosexual community I learned not to be limited just to apperance, but to inner beauty as well.
From the moment I walked into Billy DeFrank's Youth Center in San Jose, a center for homosexuals, I was thrown into complete awe. People were smiling, laughing, talking, dancing, and to my surprise, welcoming. To be honest, I was afraid of how they would receive me, having limited interactions with homosexuals prior this experience; however, instead of pushing me to the side, they encouraged me to join in their activities.
The stereotype the homosexual community is often portrayed with was completely different from what I had expected. I was surprised at how confident everyone was. People were running around while others were reading. There were some playing board games while others were drawing. It was like being in a big family filled with love and care.
When everyone calmed down and we sat on the couches talking, I saw that they were just like stereotypical teenagers with problems everyone deals with: grades, boyfriend and girlfriends, parents. I was too scared to ask about the discrimination they face and how they deal with discrimination, but I could see that it didn't bother them that much. The media manipulated my view on the homosexual community. I saw that the homosexual community was much stronger than I thought. I saw that people are happy with who they are, even though there are people who just don't agree with their lifestyle.
I talked to one of the administrators of the center about how people dealt with the coming out of the closet to their parents, and she told me how some parents are supportive, while others tend to freak out, but all in all, their parents still loved them for who they are. It was a complete shock to realize that these youths had supportive families. Jealousy had hit me. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be with people who made me feel comfortable.
They had to be strong to be able to put up with how they are being treated at school. Most schools in the Bay Area have a Gay Straight Alliance at school, but that doesn't change the fact that the youths were still being called "gay" because of their sexual orientation. I realized that they have to be strong to deal with being called a name everyday. They have to be strong to resist the urge of breaking down. They have to be strong.
I don't know what people are saying behind my back. I don't know what people think of me. But I can happily say that I am strong; I don't need any other words to describe myself.
