IDENTITY

There is a website LGBTQ and straight people should defiantly check out:www.wegiveadamn.orgIt is easy to join, all you need to do is give them your e-mail, zip code, and first name. You can also follow them on Twitter, Facebook(like I am), or YouTube.It is a very informational website that gives a summary of LGBTQ issues like workplace discrimination, hate crimes, military, marriage, youth in school, youth and suicide, youth and homelessness, faith, health care, and parenting. It is mostly for straight people looking for information to get started in “giving a damn” and at their own pace.They have “Damn Videos” that have celebrities, straight and gay, talking about the same issues stated above. I found them very moving and are nice if you don’t want to read all of the information given in the “Damn Issues” section.Also, they have personal stories and blogs I found very informational and inspirational. There are not many personal stories however, but hopefully as more people get involved the number will rise.The one I liked the most was the one in the Parenting section called “For the Love of My Children” by Cheryl. It is about a mother who is worried about her 19 year old gay son not reaching his dreams due to discrimination. He is currently going to college to become a teacher, but being openly gay he may not be able to get a job. Also his mother is worried about him having kids. She knows he will be a great dad but because of his sexual orientation he may be denied the right to adopt with his partner. She also shares that her sons partner had to switch schools due to his sexual orientation and is mad about that choice was necessary. At the end she states because the loves her son she “gives a damn”.The only issues I saw with the website was that it does not talk a lot about the transgender community in the blogs or videos and they do not seem to have a lot of information in general. It seems like a summary on everything. They do have some links though, but they are mostly to cite the information they use.The transgender community is a very important part of the LGBTQ community and I hope that they include more information about their hardships and issues in the future, especially in a video or in a personal story if possible.In my workplace I have met a few transgender people and all of them have shared stories with me that have changed my view on life drastically. I wish for everyone to hear stories like theirs, to experience a new way of looking at things. It is a form of taboo I hope can be talked about more and understood more. I think that can be accomplished faster if sites like this one treats it as a priority topic, on the same level as gay, lesbian, and bisexual topics.

~Chardonnay P.Y.E