If I Could Change The World, There Would Be No Such Thing As 'The Closet'

Feeling trapped for years on end and then finally releasing everything that was bottled up is a saving grace. However, what I truly wish, is that our community didn't have to worry about coming out... ever.

If I could change the world, there would be no such thing as a closet. Loving someone who identifies as the same gender as you wouldn't be thought of as wrong. Being open to either gender wouldn't be considered selfish or attention-seeking. Feeling like you were born in the wrong body wouldn't be thought of as disgusting. In fact, if I could change the world, these things wouldn't really be thought of as anything; no one would think twice about them.

If I could change the world, there would be no such thing as a closet.

This closet we speak of does more harm than good; it causes countless tragic events and negatively impacts the lives of anyone who experiences life within it.

If I could change the world, heterosexuality wouldn't be the norm and queer wouldn't be thought of as immoral. We would date and love whoever the hell we wanted to without having to label ourselves.

Your culture wouldn't shun you for deciding to live life in a body that feels like your own. Your peers wouldn't look at you differently if you were holding hands with a man as a man. Your parents wouldn't disown you for being attracted to both males and females.

If I could change the world, it wouldn't be weird that I am madly in love with a woman as a woman. It wouldn't be even weirder that my younger sister also loves women as a woman.

If there was no such thing as a closet, 4% of the population (7% of millennials) wouldn't have to grow up being categorized for their entire life. 40% of young adults wouldn't be subject to homelessness. We wouldn't have to grow up in shame, self-hatred, or face discrimination. We wouldn't have to experience life with a 3x higher chance of suffering from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, in turn leading to substance abuse or (thoughts of) suicide.

If there was no such thing as a closet, kids would feel safe at school. No one would be told they're "just confused" or "going through a phase" because of their age. Kids wouldn't have to fear finding and losing friends or sitting alone at lunch.

You could live life without fearing for your own.

You could walk down the street with your significant other without wondering what looks or comments you may receive that day. If I could change the world, love would just look like love no matter who it was with.

If I could change the world, the figurative closet of the LGBTQ+ community would be burned down to nothing. We wouldn't have to sit down with our family and friends and ask for our love to be accepted. We wouldn't have to come out for the rest of our lives once we make the initial leap of doing so. We wouldn't have to avoid living our fullest life strictly due to the fear of being "different."

If I could change the world, there would be no such thing as a closet. Love is love, is love, is love.

Although the world is slowly becoming more open-minded to the LGBTQ+ community, we still have a long ways to go and I am here for the progress we can make happen in our lifetime.