We don't choose to be born. Nor do we choose the family into which we will be born. There are some other things in this world that are just thrust upon us as well. One of those things is our sexuality. Now some people may argue and say that sexuality is a choice, but the purpose of this article is not to determine where sexuality comes from. Instead, the purpose of this article is to ask you to open your mind to what it must be like to walk in the shoes of someone who is gay.

This is the year 2000, one would think that people today must be rather open-minded and tolerant (if not accepting), of people who are different from the norm. Not necessarily!!! In our society, we have come a long way in regards to where African-Americans stand as well as where women stand. However, there are still two major groups of people that get discriminated against openly and our society allows it to happen. The first group is the gay population, which is the focus of this article. The second is the obese population, which will be addressed in another article.

After talking with hundreds of gay individuals, young and old, singles and couples, it has become obvious to me that being gay must be very difficult. This does not mean all gay people struggle with their sexualtiy, but instead that at some point in their life they have either had to hide their sexuality and/or been judged because of it. So then what is the message that is given to them? One that they are different, and two that different is bad. This can take a serious toll on one's self-esteem, where they may begin to doubt themself, and/or put themself down. A low self-esteem often keeps people from pursuing their dreams and/or goals, keeping them stuck in the same place.

So, if you are gay, you have been given an opportunity for growth. An opportunity to be challenged and learn how to integrate your sexuality into your life. Embrace your sexuality instead of trying to hide it and fit into a society that may not accept you out of their own fear. Their unacceptance of who you are has nothing to do with you but again more to do with their own fears and limitations.

If you are not gay, open your heart to someone who is gay. Accept without judging. Look at your own differences and how you may have been discriminated against in your life, you might get a small taste of how it feels.

Again, we don't have control over many things in this world, but we do however have choices as to how we will manage the things that are handed to us.