1. First of all, I need to say that I totally respect people's opinions as long as they're respectful.
One of my bestest friends, is gay. The first time I met this guy, I knew he was gay but I didn't make a fuss out of it. I didn't ask him about his personal life, I didn't ask him when he came out to his parents because that is not respectful. He didn't need to come out to me, because it was kind of obvious. :) And boy, he's the greatest "boy" friend I've ever had. I love you M !
2. Now where am I going with this, you must be wondering? Well, whether you're straight or gay, it's all about your personality. Why judge someone on who they love and what they like? When the most important thing in a relationship (whether it's friendship or love) is their kindness and sense of humor. You don't judge a friend who doesn't like the same music you do, right? Would you rather be friends with an (excuse my language) asshole who's straight or a very kind person who's gay? Yeah, I didn't think so.
3. Thankfully I live in Belgium, and because Belgium is the second country to have accepted Same-sex Marriage, I feel like it's a safer place for LGBT people. The streets of Brussels are filled with LGBT people and that's what makes me proud to be Belgian (this and the chocolate...).
4. Another thing I don't really understand and appreciate is that some people (I've seen this on internet, this is not a personal experience) think that because you support gay marriage, you are probably, obviously gay. Nope. Hint - I'm writing this and I'm not gay - Hint. Supporting something doesn't mean being part of that something. Get that in your brain and let it stay there. If you're like me, you're considered as SBNN - Straight but not narrow.
5. If your friends make fun of gay people or have homophobic manners, don't follow them into stupidness. Stand up for those who need it and make sure they know how you feel about it (but don't forget to be respectful).
6. In the end, it all comes down to one thing. Respect & Understanding. And if you can't combine these two elements in your relationships, then you might end up alone and have people hating on you. That's not what you want, right?
7. I had a presentation one day and we were allowed to choose the subject ourselves. I chose to talk about Ellen DeGenenes, being THE role model for LGBT people and being loved by everybody (also SBNN). And I think everybody quite liked my presentation, I hope! :) . As she would say - Be kind to one another, bye!
Love, Aileen
