Inkmarks On Empty Dreams

“I grew up in a series of small military towns. I came out at 11 years old. By the time I turned 19 I lost three friends to LGBT related hate violence. My story is the unconventional casualty of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. In the mid 90s the military was a culture of fear for LGBT service members, but many people don’t realize the DADT culture of fear was also handed down to the LGBT family members of service people. I was the oldest daughter of a teenage mother. My family had no idea what to do with a prepubescent queer kid. This isn’t an uncommon occurrence. 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. Those figures are pretty remarkable when you realize that LGBTQ youth only make up 3-5% of the general population. Many homeless LGBTQ young people cite family rejection as the cause of their homelessness. I was homeless through out college. It’s an untraditional form of homelessness and very common with college students. I had room and board provided through my scholarship but it only covered t...

“Ever since I was a young girl I knew I wasn’t like everyone else. I remember when my aunt would bring home her beautiful friends over and I couldn’t help but wish I was older so I could be with them. I never knew what bisexual meant until I was about 7 or 8. Later I came out to my father at age 11(who was very supportive). I also came out to my homophobic mother at age 11 or 12. My mother was not very pleased and started saying homophobic slurs to me but mostly when she was drunk. Looking back on it was a lot of the time. Ever since I was 10 I’ve faced depression, anxiety, and self harm issues. Now not all of it was from not being accepted as a LGBTQ+ in my mom’s family but it certainly made things a lot worse. I am now trying to get help and am in a happy relationship with my trans boyfriend(who my mother greatly disapproves of). Even though I haven’t faced everything yet I just want LGBTQ+ members of all races, genders, and religions to know that at some point it will get better. It...

In cele din urma am ajuns, dupa 10 ore cumplite de zbor intr-un avion militar C-130. Eram in Afganistan, o tara uitata de lume si macinata de razboaie, atat de departe de tot ceea ce cunosteam si numeam acasa. Ultimul loc din lume unde as fi crezut ca viata mea se va schimba atat de mult. Eram atat de incantata de aceasta ocazie de a vedea o cultura complet diferita si oportunitatea de a lucra cu oameni din toate colturile lumii, incat chiar daca aceasta „aventura” presupunea si un risc destul de mare nu reuseam sa-mi retin un zambet de incantare. Acolo, in acea tara prafuita si uitata in trecut am cunoscut-o pe ea, femeia pe care invat sa o uit, dar a carei amintire se incapataneaza sa apara la fel de vie si dureroasa. Nu pot sa spun ca relatiile mele cu barbatii au fost prea grozave, dar intotdeauna am presupus ca nu am intalnit persoana potrivita si intr-un fel asa era, doar ca aveam o perceptie complet gresita a ceea ce credeam eu ca inseamna „persoana potrivita”. Uneori, m-am trez...