By Augustus Dinsmore

My name is Augustus Dinsmore, and the LGBTQ community is something I’m a huge part of. Something I’ll always BE a part of. I’m transgender, and bisexual. I wear my colors unashamed.
Despite the pride I carry with me, I still feel the anxiety people like me feel because of who we are.
While I know this world is moving in a positive direction, intolerant people exist and many take their hatred to the extreme. Judging by the way I hear some people talk within the walls of my own school, some of them exist close by.
The hateful slurs that I hear everyday in these hallways are horrific. I almost always have something to say, because that’s who I am: a passionate person who will look bigotry in the eyes and stand against it, but there’s been times I will admit I’ve cowered away. It happens to the best of us.
LGBTQ people need allies. We’ve managed to be that for ourselves, but we can’t do that alone all the time. In order for anything to get better, we need allies who will step in when needed. We need people on the sidelines willing to cheer for us when we’re on the field. The only way things will ever get better is if we’re a team against bigotry.
Being an LGBTQ person in general isn’t easy, it’s not just about being one in high school. Every day we hear slurs, threats, and stories of our own people becoming victims of hate crimes. All for who we were born as. But I have faith that one day this world will be a place where everyone is free to simply be. To get there, we have to keep talking. We can’t let our voices fall silent about the injustices LGBTQ folks of all ages face. We are one. We have to stay as one. I promise you, until the day comes that no one is afraid, I won’t stop. We will never live in peace until NO ONE is afraid.
I want anyone who is LGBTQ to know they’re not alone. I know what it is to feel alone. I know what it is to hate who you are. I know what it is to be silenced. But I can tell you from experience it does get better. I’ve only just recently come out. The me I was last year would never believe it if I told him he’d be out of the closet he was trapped in. This world can be a cruel place filled with people who refuse to understand, but the more of you who stand up and say who you are, the more it proves we’re never going away. We are and always will be here, no matter what. You are you. You were born this way. Be proud. Be fearless. The world is waking up, it can and will become a better place, so long as we keep our strength. I promise.