It's June 2018, after a hard long six months, we're finally on the cusp of what could potentially be the best summer of our lives. June does not only signify the beginning of summer but it holds a special meaning for many.

It's Pride Month and in honor of this joyous time, I'd like to offer my support for those who are in families where expressing this acceptance of one's sexual orientation is not allowed. There is nothing wrong with not being out yet and it's best to wait until you are safe to do so. Even so, I know it can be difficult to hide the truth from your family, especially if you're close to them.

I hope everything turns out great for you. This experience may be very similar for some and it is one I hold near to my heart because it involves my best friend.

I met him sometime in the Fall of 2012, knowing that the school fully speculated that he was gay. Now, it was very complicated to be gay in this time period, as young children, no one really believed that it was possible and our peers were very much against it.

At least, their interests were peaked and because they did not understand it, they ridiculed whoever they thought to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community. He had a lot more than just teasing at school to deal with, something I was to find out a couple months after we met.

I knew he was sad, that was known from the way he looked at school and honestly, that was the reason I wanted to be his friend. I knew what that was like and I could not stand the idea of him going through anything alone, gay or not. It was not easy to get him to trust us, there was no surprise as to why.

I found out that he was gay and that there was absolutely no way his parents could ever find out about it. For that reason, he was very withdrawn and closed up. His family would ridicule him for being himself and if they were to find out that he was gay, it would be so much worse.

There was no support and that was damaging. He struggled a lot with depression through the years, devastated that once he went home, he could no longer be himself. That weighed a lot on his conscious. This is where I believe he began to self-harm again. I never got a clear timeline of when he began but I remember the day it ended like it was yesterday.

He drank too much, purposely and he was taken to the hospital. We only found out about it after he was taken. It was the worst feeling to know that this was going on and I had no clue. I wasn't aware that this was eating him up so much. This is when in the moment of sluggishness, he told his mother that he was gay.

The secret that he had been holding so close to his chest for so long was finally out. Initially, his family was torn apart. It was not easy for a Hispanic conservative family to understand and accept that their son would never be with a woman. Of course, now, it's a topic that is never spoken about. It's never acknowledged but it is known and I feel like that was enough to make him happier.

I believe that his family knowing who he really was allowed him to gain freedom.

My best friend is a brave gay man who struggled for many years with this fact. He went from denying it to hiding it. I hope that now he understands that he is loved for all he is and that he never feels the need to hurt himself because he doesn't feel this.

It is OK to not come out because families are not supportive of it. It is OK to talk about it with others and get support from those that may not be your family. You are not wrong for being gay. You are not wrong for being a part of the LGBTQ. There are people who are completely supportive of you. I hope this is the best pride month and that one day you can be your true self.