Cyndi Lauper

About a year back I watched a couple of videos on youtube. They were made by the "Give A Damn Campaign": http://www.wegiveadamn.org/ and the founder? The extremely talented, kind and humble Cyndi Lauper. You may know her as the girl who performed Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Time After Time and True Colors but beyond that she has done so much more for the world and all of it with a heart of gold. But beyond the work she's done against breast cancer, her performance of "Girls" in Afghanistan and the tons of support for people who need it the most the one that struck me harder than any of them was just the Give a Damn Campaign because it hit so incredibly close to home.

I have been fortunate enough to get parents, family, friends and relatives who have accepted my coming out without a second thought but a lot of people aren't as lucky. I can barely think about what these people must go through every day: having been kicked out of their homes, their lives ripped from them, having to hide who they are to not get killed or simply just being bullied enough to feel that suicide is actually an option, fearing that who they are is so unacceptable that the only way out is to take their own lives. I can barely think about it without getting so emotionally hurt that I actually have to hold back the tears. But I do think about it, I think about it every day. What if it had been me? I know it's probably selfish to think like that but I think one step further, if it had been me I am so glad that there are people out there like Cyndi, Danny, my parents, my friends and family out there who gives a damn.

To Malin, my best friend and partner in crime, she who has been there by my side through it all and helped me carry through whether it be a laugh, a hug, tears and complete support. All I've ever gotten from you is love. Thank you for giving a damn!