It has come to my attention how little the general population knows about LGBTQ+ life. Ten years ago, it was a big deal to not hate someone because they were gay, and now we face much more nuanced issues.
Members of the LGBT community are bombarded with imagery of straight couples in traditional media. This isn't the problem, the problem is that when a gay couple is portrayed in the media, it's a really big deal? Any television show or movie featuring a couple of the same sex is automatically classified as a gay or lesbian film or show rather than just a show.
We live in a new 2017 where only the most "hateful" or the most closed-minded are considered homophobic. Most people, at least I would like to think, are "okay" with someone being gay, lesbian, transgender, or any other label they may attach to themselves.
Sometimes, that isn't enough.
I am actually a little offended when people say "I don't care if you're gay, as long as you aren't into me." I can't speak for every member of the LGBTQ+ community, but just because someone classifies themselves as someone attracted to members of the same sex, it does not automatically include you. You are not special or attractive enough for everyone to automatically swoon when they see you. Even if they did, no one really wants to like someone they can't have.
Being bisexual or pansexual isn't about being attracted to every single person on the planet. It's about allowing yourself to be open to love in any form it presents itself.
"We are greater than the sum of our parts" is a John Green quote from his debut novel, Looking For Alaska, and also inspired by the Greek philosopher Aristotle.
I try and keep this in my mind to remind myself and others that labels do not define us. I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I am a woman. I am a sorority woman. I am a feminist. I am a student. I am a daughter. All of these things are parts of who I am, but they will never be able to capture me and all that I hold.
If there is something you don't understand about your friend or loved one and their life, ask them! The easiest way, and sometimes the only way, to get answers to your questions are from the people who know best.
