Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.

For the number of lows I've had there's a fair few people on this list, close family, friends, people I love. As I've grown up I've added myself and my future kids to that list. What use is the ride if you don't enjoy it :)

Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.

Face the heartbreak of another miscarriage.

Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.

My list of things I want to do in my life is so long and gets new things added to it almost daily. Which I like because the day I find myself with nothing that I want to achieve will be the day I die and even then dying will be my set task :P

A few things I want to do in my life are:

Work with LGBT young people

Have a family

Create a home

Have semi-harmony between my future pack of dogs, cats and children

Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.

Not being strong enough to make the tough decisions.

Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.

Running away when I get scared. I haven't forgiven myself, to some degree I doubt I ever will. I suppose this is what you could say I hate about myself. But at the same time I needed to go where I went, I needed to become who I am. Still not happy about the way I did things though.

Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.

I feel a bit like Day 01, I don't really go to extremes with myself.

I love my technology addiction, it amuses me greatly during things like traffic jams and family occasions.

I love my new panda hat but thats not really me, just an expression of my silliness.

I love my feistiness. It can get me into a lot of trouble but I love who/what I love passionately and I'm prepared to fight or just get lippy to protect them.

I love my listening abilities. I love my open-mindedness. I love my beliefs.

I love this chocolate cake ^_^

Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.

I've started this a few times and I'm finding it hard. Usually I can be so flippant with remarks like I hate my thighs or I hate my big toe but actually writing it in a blog is tough because I don't really hate anything about myself. I have my flaws and I've made my mistakes but right now I love who I am and all my mistakes and bits that I hate and have hated are a part of who I am now.

So there ya go, I'm an optimistic bugger. Get used to it :P

30 Days of Truth

Keeping with my trend of 30 Day Blog Challenges here's my latest one, starting tomorrow :)

Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.
Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.
Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 09 → Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10 → Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11 → Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13 → A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15 → Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16 → Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18 → Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28 → What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29 → Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30 → A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself

Day 30 – Anything LGBT you’d like to end this on :]

Gay by nature, proud by choice.

Happy holidays :]

Day 29 – SHOUT SOMETHING! IT CAN BE HAPPY AND ABOUT PRIDE OR ABOUT WHY YOU HATE HOMOPHOBIA!

IT'S WELL NICER OUTSIDE THE CLOSET!!! xD

Day 28 – Write a letter to someone. It can be a coming out letter or a letter regarding how you hate their homophobia or whatnot

To my 19 year old self, on your birthday,

Hi :) I'm you in just a few years time. Hard to believe isn't it? It's a tough time for you right now. I wish I could say it gets better immediately, but sometimes things need to get worse before they get better, so that you really appreciate the good times when they come.

You're on the verge of discovering so much, and all I can tell you is do follow your gut instincts. It will lead you to an incredible part of yourself, something that you will dispute, and something that will change your whole world. But it is you, and we're nothing if not a survivor right? I wish I could tell you your faith will get you through. You're going to continue on your journey to find what you really believe in. The Catholic Church will only keep disappointing you. Please do not hate yourself. It's the religion you were brought up in, you had no reason to ever doubt it and it is their loss.

Gill this is a time of huge confusion for you. The guy you're sitting with, he's going to bring you nothing but heartache, but your heart already knows that. August is going to be a particularly hard time for you with relation to him, and it will be a very long time until you can talk about it to anybody. Keep going, there is a reason to everything, no matter how cruel it may seem.

You're gonna get there hun. Your next birthday will be so much happier, I promise you. For your own sake, accept things you can't change. You can't change the fundamentals of who you are but you can change what you do with who you are.

You're an amazing person.

Love, your 21 and 3/4 year old self.

X x

Day 27 – Your favorite LGBT blog/tumblr/site

http://doyouwannaknowhowigotmyscars.wordpress.com

Without a doubt this is my favorite LGBT blog. Despite anything that has gone on between the author and myself it's always been a source of entertainment, news and opinions that is undoubtedly her all over!

Day 26 – Your favorite gay joke (we all need to laugh at ourselves)

What does a gay man bring to a second date?
What second date?

What does a lesbian bring to a second date?
A U-Haul


:P

Day 25 – The LGBT slur you hate most or if you’ve taken back a slur and used it as a definition, ie queer or fag

I really dislike faggot, and have turned it round saying 'Oh yes he most definitely is a bundle of sticks would ya look at the limbs on him!'. I dislike it so much because it's the most commonly used slur against gay people that I've heard, I'd put bets on it being the word thrown at my uncle before he had his face slashed outside a gay bar in the 80's.

Day 24 – The stupidest argument/comment you’ve heard about gay people or an LGBT issue

Probably one of the biggest ones, that being LGBT is a choice. Do you really think I chose a life of discrimination and half measures? A life of always watching my back to see if it's safe for me to be myself? Having to drop my significant others hand when we think it's not safe to be seen holding hands? Of course I didn't choose this life. What I chose was not to deny myself who I really am. Not to live a half live, ignoring my real feelings and desires. I chose to act on who I am, and to embrace who I am because life really is too short to live in fear of the haters.

Hate is a choice. Love is natural. Your actions will define you.

Day 23 – An LGBT image that makes you cry or makes you angry

This kinda shit pisses me off:



I don't give a rats ass what religion you follow or what your God says, religion is a personal CHOICE and shouldn't be shoved down the throats of others. I'm sure if the Catholics (as this is the only major religion I know relatively well) bothered reading their Bible a bit more closely they'd see that hating your neighbor is also wrong and that God loves everybody.

This makes me cry:

Day 22 – An LGBT image that makes you smile

Stolen from a friends blog, definitely the sweetest LGBT image I've seen:

Day 21 – Political LGBT issue that is closest to you or affects you most

Children of same sex parents ‘do just as well’
By Evelyn Ring
Friday, May 08, 2009
CHILDREN raised in same sex families do just as well as other children living with heterosexual parents, an Irish child expert has claimed.



Co-director of the Children’s Research Centre at Trinity College Dublin, Prof Sheila Greene, said there was no evidence that children in lesbian and gay families were experiencing the kind of problems that some people had predicted.

Prof Greene said: "Children within gay and lesbian families are not any more or less gay, they are not confused and they don’t suffer from mental health problems to any greater or lesser extend than children being reared by a biological mother and father."

She said debates about who should and should not parent children in Ireland must be informed by scientific evidence rather than unfounded assumptions, and sometimes biased beliefs, about the outcomes for children in lesbian and gay families.

The professor was one of the guest speakers at a national symposium called Marriage Matters for Lesbian and Gay People in Dublin, organised by the National Gay and Lesbian Federation.

She said it was now widely accepted that of the many reasons why children develop emotional or behavioural problems, the sexual orientation of parents did not appear to be one.

But Prof Greene said being raised by lesbian and gay parents was not plain sailing and she urged parents to be aware of the challenges that their children might face.

It was already known from recent Irish research that there was a high level of homophobia and bullying among young people.

"If children are teased because they wear glasses or because their parents were separated, it was reasonable to expect that children may be teased because of the sexual orientation of their parents.

"This will mean that children may have bad moments, like any others, not that they will be psychologically scarred or suffer from mental health problem. The important issue is that parents must be tuned into the needs of their children," she said.

Meanwhile, well known British-based human rights and gay rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, said the Irish Government’s proposed civil partnership legislation was a big mistake and an insult to same-sex couples.

"It is a rejection of marriage equality. Separate laws for gay people are not equal laws," said Mr Tatchell.

The campaigner urged the Irish Government not to go down the same road as Britain with its flawed system of civil partnerships.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, May 08, 2009


Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/snkfcwmhmh/rss2/#ixzz17iYqujgG








Now why can't the government read this kinda stuff, the proven research, instead of listening to the people lining their pockets.

Day 20 – Maureen or Joanne? (Or your favorite LGBTQ show or queer-positive show)

Argh you would give me the impossible question. Joanne for a fling, some crazy fun. Maureen for keeps.



I'm wildly in love with Skins Gen2's Naiomily (Emily and Naiomi), they're incredible. I want somebody to love me like that.

Day 19 – Butch or Femme?

I'm quite femme, dresses on special occasions, make up, skinny jeans and high heeled boots and the like. I tend to be more attracted to butches however, short hair, androgynous dress sense, cheeky smile. *swoons*

Day 18 – Something about the LGBTQ community you don’t understand or have a question about

The bitching and in fighting. Seriously lads, we have enough on our plates to be dealing with!

Day 17 – Your first experience with an LGBT organization or event (Day of Silence, Pride, etc)

My very first encounter with the LGBT community was seeing the entire Pride parade of 2007 go past my bus as we sat in traffic. I loved it, the colours, the atmosphere, the passion that you could so obviously see exuding from these bright happy people.

My first 'face to face' encounter with the LGBT community was over a year later, when I'd figured out I was anything but heterosexual and had picked apart my cost little straight life to take a look at why I was so deeply unhappy. It was post Pride 2008, and I had found the youth group BeLonG To while website hoping (like channel hoping only online). I was utterly terrified to go to their Sunday group. I had waited till my family was out of town so I didn't need to put my pathetic lying skills under undue pressure. I shook the entire bus ride to town and the whole walk to the community center was rushed, my head watching my feet and navigating a part of town I wasn't all that familiar with. Four or five hours later after a flurry of names and faces, hugs and so much information I was totally convinced that I was going back the next week. Right after I came out to my parents. I don't do things by halves ;)

Day 16 – A picture from your first LGBT relationship or of your first LGBT crush

She probably wasn't my first LGBT crush but she's definitely the one I remember most vividly:





Specifically in this movie:






Yum ^_^

Day 15 – Your favorite LGBT quote

"Somewhere in Des Moines or San Antonio there is a young gay person who all the sudden realizes that he or she is gay; knows that if their parents find out they will be tossed out of the house, their classmates will taunt the child, and the Anita Bryant's and John Briggs' are doing their part on TV. And that child has several options: staying in the closet, and suicide. And then one day that child might open the paper that says "Homosexual elected in San Francisco" and there are two new options: the option is to go to California, or stay in San Antonio and fight. Two days after I was elected I got a phone call and the voice was quite young. It was from Altoona, Pennsylvania. And the person said "Thanks". And you've got to elect gay people, so that thousand upon thousands like that child know that there is hope for a better world; there is hope for a better tomorrow. Without hope, not only gays, but those who are blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's: without hope the us's give up. I know that you can't live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you, and you, and you, and you have got to give them hope." - Harvey Milk, 1978

Day 14 – Your favorite LGBT song or artist

Although she's not LGBT I absolutely adore this woman:



Her songs are mostly gender ambiguous and she always gives a shout-out to her LGBT fans at concerts. Plus she's friggin hot!

How To Survive a Lesbian Relationship Break-Up

Whether you have left your partner, or she has left you, surviving a lesbian break-up is hard. Sometimes it may feel like you may never recover from the break-up. But you will. These tips might make recovering from a break-up easier.

Difficulty: Hard

Time Required: Can Take a Year or More

Here's How:

Recognize what has happened.
The first thing you might be feeling is, "I can't believe this is happening!" Shock and denial are normal in the early stages of recovery from a break-up. You keep thinking you'll wake up from the bad dream or that your lover will return. This is the first step in the grieving process. Once you begin to believe that it's really over, you're ready to move on to the next step of healing from a break-up.

Next you might feel anger toward your partner.
Good, this is the second step of grieving. At this time, it is a good idea to get away from your partner. If you live together, move out or go stay with some friends. Too many lesbian couples continue to live together after they break up. If you can't afford to move out, go stay with a friend for a while. You need to separate to get a clear head. Don't drive by her house or ask friends about her new girlfriend, you'll only torture yourself.

Get support.
Call on your friends. Your friends, not your mutual friends. At this time you need someone who is going to take your side. You don't need a reasonable voice at this time. You need a friend who will nod in agreement at every horrible thing your ex has done. She'll tell you how wonderful you are and how much better off you are without her. There's plenty of time to be reasonable in the future. Right now you need to vent.

Mourn, but don't wallow.
Feeling sad is normal. Yes, it's okay to cry, scream and feel pity for yourself. But don't allow the situation to turn you into a bitter human being. Give yourself up to a year to grieve. If after that time you're still welling up with tears at the thought of her, it's time to see a therapist. Something else is probably going on to cause your sadness.

Get Closure.
Say the things to her that you need to and leave it at that. If she won't see you face to face, send her a letter. Beware of e-mail, where you can write something regrettable and impulsively hit send. If you choose to communicate by e-mail, be sure to wait 24 hours before sending off your letter.

No Rebounds.
It sure can be tempting to enter into a new relationship to help you forget the old one. But if you don't give yourself time to heal and reflect on what happened with the last one, you're bound to repeat the same patterns.

Let it all out.
Get your feelings out in healthy ways. Write them down, make a painting, write a fantastic break-up song, listen to great break-up songs, go for a run. Let it out in what ever way feels best to you. Avoid turning to drugs or alcohol. They will only make the situation worse.

Look at yourself.
What went wrong with the relationship to cause it to end? Every relationship is a two-person dynamic. Try to identify what part she played and what part you played. If you take ownership of your role, you'll be less likely to repeat the same mistakes in your next relationship. Beware playing the blame game. Getting angry at yourself for your mistakes will not help. You just want to recognize what you did so the next time you're aware of your dynamic.

"That which does not destroy us will make us stronger."
Remember this. This is a hard time and you WILL get through it. Look at this as an opportunity for growth and to test your strength as a human being. When it feels like too much, be sure to call on those support systems.

"Let go and let God."
You can't control what another person does, but you can control how you react. Pray, meditate, read inspirational stories, whatever will get you through. Remember others have been through this and came out on the other side and you will too. Breathe in and out. It will get better.