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Many people face numerous obstacles in their life on a daily basis; there is no doubt about that. Imagine being homeless, if for only one day. Imagine being a single mother with four or five children! In this society of such diverse peoples, Americans are struggling more than ever: struggling financially, emotionally, and physically. Some bridges are a bit easier to cross than others, and growing up gay is one of those bridges which can suck the life right out of you. I will not brand every gay man and woman by saying we all have a tough time; we do not. Some gay people grow up in a very normal environment, accepted by their family and friends. But for those men and women who do not have it so good, life can be an uphill battle, to say the least. I will speak for myself when I say the emotional roller coaster starts with confusion and angst. When I was in fifth grade, I began to realize I was different than all the other kids, but I could not understand why. There was a knot in my stomach, almost like there was something inside of me about to explode. In sixth grade, I began to dress in all black and alienate myself. At this point, I had come to the realization that I was attracted to my best friend, who happened to be a guy. Boy did that mess with my head! From everything society and religion spouts about values, I felt anger and guilt for having these feelings! I locked everything inside, which is the worst possible thing to do. It was at the end of seventh grade that I slipped into a huge depression, which lasted for many years to come. I knew I was gay inside, but would never mouth the words. So I came up with a temporary solution, or a quick fix! I started saying I was bisexual for a while. Being bisexual wasn't quite as harsh and real as the "G" word! When you're not out of the closet, simply saying the word gay can be the hardest thing to do! Being gay in this society means being mocked everywhere you go, being laughed at behind your back (or in front of your face), getting the hell beat out of you, or, in some cases, death by hate. So who in their right mind, at such a young age, would want that upon themselves? This is why I get so infuriated when I hear people say being gay is a decision! Who are these idiots, and how they would they know? Until you walk in someone else's shoes, you never really know someone's pain. Well, I finally came out to my friends as being gay at the end of eighth grade. As true friends are, they were compassionate and caring,

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