It has been over a week since the tragic events at the Pulse, a prominent gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida that claimed the lives of 50 people and injuring 53, many of whom were and are members of the LGBT community. I continue to send my heart and prayers, positive thoughts and vibes to with the victims and their families. This senseless act of violence has given me a new outlook on life. Not only realizing that life is so precious, never knowing what could happen, but it also gave me a renewed sense of pride that I have to be a part of the LGBT community. The progress that the community has obtained, especially within this country, is astounding. However, this tragic event has emphasized the unfortunate fact that there is still much more progress to be made.

There is still bigotry, homophobia, and downright hatred within this country towards a community that is doing nothing more than trying to be themselves, live their authentic lives and love whomever they want to love. At the same time, there is still plenty of self-hatred. News outlets have reported that Omar Mateen, the mastermind behind this act of violence, was a frequent visitor of Pulse, in addition to chatting with other men on gay dating sites and apps. We may never know if this is indeed the truth. However, if it is true, this is an extreme case of an individual hating themselves and who they are to the point that they released that anger and frustration on a specific group of people -- the group of people who would have embraced him with open arms.

Even though the thought of killing anyone would never cross my mind, this event brought me back to my childhood when I first realized that I was different than everyone else. I was around seven years old when I first realized that I could have been attracted to the same sex. When I first came to that conclusion, I hated it. I could not even stand the thought of being attracted to, in love, and romantically as well as sexually involved with someone of the same gender. I questioned how and why I turned out that way. Obviously, both of my parents are straight, my older brother is straight. So why did I turn out different? Was it something I contracted? Something I was bitten by? I seriously could not figure out why I was having these feeling that, at the time, I felt were abnormal.

As I grew up, I tried to convince myself that I was bisexual because whenever I looked at a woman who was sexy, I had no problem admitting that to myself and to anybody else. Being bisexual seemed to be the better route to choose than being gay. It was safer. In my mind, it was a more acceptable label by society. However, even at this time, I knew that there was a great possibility that I could not, nor ever will be, able to be intimate -- romantically or sexually -- with someone of the opposite gender.

Today, I realize that sexuality is a spectrum: some people fall strictly on the heterosexual side, some people fall strictly on the homosexual side, some people fall smack dab right in the middle as bisexual, and other people fall anywhere else in between. Some people are born male but feel deep in their heart and soul that they are actually a female. Some people are born female but feel they are male. Some people express themselves as both male and female. Some people do not have any desire to be sexually intimate with anybody. No matter where you fall personally, one thing is fact - and it took me forever to realize this: it is ALL okay. As long as you are living your authentic life, not hurting anyone while you’re doing it, who you love, who you go to bed with, and who you go to bed as, IS ALL OKAY!

Now, as a 24 year old gay man, I am so grateful to live in a time time where same sex marriage is legal nationwide, despite certain individuals doing everything and anything they can to stop or reverse that monumental and historically significant Supreme Court decision. I am surrounded by friends and family who love and accept me for who I am, what I look like, and how I carry myself. Many of them are also members of the LGBT community, which makes living my life so much easier and more comfortable. I am now happy and in love, and there is one person I truly have to thank for that. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, thank you for making me realize I am who I am at the age of seven when I first got into wrestling. I owe it all to you and your good looks!