As 2018 comes to a close, it's hard not to reflect on all the progress we've made as a community. Lately, I've been catching myself in that reflective mood more and more. My favorite area of New York is the West Village. Whenever I'm sitting on the benches in Christopher Park, it's such a relaxing yet liberating experience. I look over at the statues and the legendary Stonewall Inn. It makes me think about my people's history and all they went through. I feel an enormous sense of gratitude for where we are today.

We saw some incredible media representation this year. In film, there were lead roles and stories told that displayed inspiring confidence. "Love, Simon" was a film that gave the gay teens of today a romantic comedy that was their own. It gained the kind of mainstream exposure and embrace that was previously unheard of. This was a gay-themed film with a happy outcome. Nobody was the victim of a hate crime, committed suicide, or got their heart broken. It was a film that strongly stood alongside teen classics like "Mean Girls" and "Sixteen Candles."

The film also provided a hopeful glimpse at how we've progressed with the coming out process. It's a reflection of how so many gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens can come out to accepting households. Of course, things aren't perfect. This imperfection was reflected in "Boy Erased," a film based on the memoir of the same name. It tells the story of a young man entering conversion therapy after being outed to his parents. However, while there is a lot of darkness to the film, there is a stronger sense of hope and confidence. The confidence the main character displays by questioning authority figures and his eventual resolve gives inspiration to anyone watching him.

Troye Sivan, one of the stars of "Boy Erased" lit up the music world this year with his sophomore album, "Bloom." With the title track (which SIvan confirmed was about bottoming) and the lead single "My My My!," he put forth gay sexual expression underrepresented in mainstream pop music. It was a comforting feeling that gay men can have a pop star they see themselves in. Only this time, it's not a straight woman, but one of our own. Sivan was also nominated for Best Original Song for "Revelation," his song from "Boy Erased," at next year's Golden Globes. Lucas Hedges, the film's star, was also nominated for Best Actor. Hedges also helped break down barriers this year by showing that one doesn't have to conform to the labels of straight, gay, or bisexual.

I believe this positive media representation is a reflection of the growing progress we're making in society. Of course, things can always get better. On the political side of things, the negative attitudes are highlighted. The transgender community is just starting to gain larger mainstream exposure. A lot of people are still in the dark on trans issues and what it means to even be transgender. Due to this ignorance, trans rights are not where they should be politically speaking. The infamous leaked memo saw Trump backtracking on the support he showed the trans community during his campaign.

I am hopeful the transgender community will make the kind of progress the gay community has made. I think it's just a matter of education. However, it will never be perfect. Look no further than all the talk of religious freedom bills. Even though same sex marriage is legal all across America, there are still those who don't want to move with the times. Certain bakers don't want to bake wedding cakes for gay and lesbian couples, citing their religious beliefs.

What fails to get across is the fact that baking a cake doesn't actually go against their religion. As long as they aren't marrying someone of the same sex, they're okay in the eyes of their God. They can bake as many gay wedding cakes as they want. They can also go to their church and preach about how they disagree with it. Religious freedom isn't being taken away in America. They come across as nothing more than a bunch of whiny cry babies who didn't get their way.

While this can be frustrating, I urge you all to look at the bigger picture. People are able to freely express themselves and make their own choices. Same sex couples can get married and other people can express their disagreement. However, the key is to not allow those disagreements to lead to childish behavior. Despite how bleak things might look sometimes, we're on the road to progress. All we need to do is treat others with respect, even those who are against us.

This concept is explored perfectly in "Boy Erased." While the parents are obviously encouraging a barbaric practice, they're not portrayed as villains. They are understood and we see their hearts are in a good place. This level of understanding is important in order to put an end to these sort of practices. Conversion therapy is still legal in many states. While it's important to criminalize it nationwide, it's still a religious practice, which protects it under the First Amendment. Therefore, changing hearts and minds is the only way to eliminate it completely.

These are battles that can be fought and won, but it needs to be done the right way. It must be done in a way that provokes dialogue rather than arguments. It's a win that I'm hopeful we will achieve. This optimism takes me back to that bench in Christopher Park, as I look over at Stonewall. I reflect on the riots which sparked the gay rights movement, the push for AIDS research, and the fight for marriage equality. It reminds me of how far we've come and I see no reason we won't go even further. This year showed how far we've come through film and music. That should inspire us to fight any of our current battles and win with flying colors.

Here's to 2019!