Pic URL: http://www.averiecooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Rainbow_flag_breeze-665x443.jpg
Article: http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hrc-celebrates-national-coming-out-day-2014
Summary: On Saturday, October 11, 2014, HRC and the LBGT community and its allies celebrated National Coming Out Day (NOCD). NOCD is a day to celebrate those who have come out as LGBT or as an ally, and those who choose to live openly and authentically. October 11 is also the anniversary of the LGBT March on Washington in 1987.
Connections to Health Class: When someone is not honest or true to themself, it can affect their mental and emotional health. Living a "lie", or not being honest with oneself, can lead to confusion, sometimes anger, and even fear, causing a person to act out in a way that is destructive to themself or others around them. Being honest is a hard choice to make because some of us might be afraid of what others will say or do. The video "Straightlaced" called attention to gender stereotypes that are often expected of us, but there are also racial stereotypes that are seldom broken. Living in these stereotypes is great, if you truly enjoy it. But defying stereotypes should be just as accepted. After all, you are still you, just an honest, happier version.
Discussion Prompt: Have you ever felt the need to be honest about yourself, but some outside force was stopping you? How can you avoid trapping yourself in a "fake" you?
I honestly haven't felt this way before, but I know people that have. I don't think there's really a way to avoid it, not in the society we live in, now a days people are just really judge mental, and people just wanna fit in.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever felt the need to lie about who I am or what I enjoy because I know that staying true to myself is a priority we must all have. To avoid living a life that isn't yours, the key is confidence. We should all be proud of who we are and where we come from without being too cocky. In order to live a healthy and happy life we must enjoy what we do and take pride in who we are.
ReplyDeleteI have felt the need to be honest about myself but I always felt that I needed to lie because I was afraid that the people on the outside or an outside force would judge me for what I would say honestly. I have learned that that you should not lie to fit i and you should always be yourself. You can avoid trapping yourself in a "fake" you by not trying to fit in with everybody else, by not lying, by being honest, and most importantly by being yourself.
ReplyDeleteAs a panromantic demisexual, it took me a while to figure out my identity. Before I decided what labels I felt comfortable with, I felt like I was lying to myself. Now that I understand it, I feel like I'm hiding whenever I meet a new person, as most people automatically assumes that everyone is straight unless explicitly told otherwise about a specific person. At the same time, hardly anybody understands my romantic and sexual orientations, so I can't really say it.
ReplyDeleteI feel comfortable being who I am at Aragon. No I haven't felt the need to be fake with who I am. I feel it's important for people to feel comfortable at school no matter who they are.
ReplyDeleteI can be a quiet person, but that doesn’t define who I am. People who only see my quiet side tend to make comments and only think of me as “the quiet girl”. When I let my true personality show, I get more comments like “Oh! She talked!” This makes it hard for me to realize that I don’t have to always be quiet or always talk. It is like people are trying to put me in a category where I don’t belong and I can’t break free of it. I think the best way to deal with this is to not worry about what others try to say about you. These comments made me never want to talk because I would be singled out and commented on if I did. If I can ignore what is being said, I am free of the pressure to be something I’m not. To connect with national coming out day, if someone were to realize that the comments they make (like “that’s gay” or similar) are not funny and they enforce the idea that being anything other than straight is bad, and they were to stop making these comments then it will help other people be more comfortable with being true to themselves.
ReplyDeleteI too notice that stepping outside what you normally act, dress, or talk like can result in negative repercussions. If I were pink, I get comments like "Oh you're finally wearing something girly!" or anything to that effect. I think ignoring what other people think and say is much easier said than done, and it's taken me a long time to not care about what other people think. I still struggle with it today. I agree that people should start to become more aware of the LGBT slurs used and that they really are not funny, and that laughing at them only encourages the user of the slur. Once the environment becomes acceptable, we can start being ourselves and not worry about who will judge us. Great comment! :D
DeleteI have been a happy person at aragon. everyone loves me for my personality and my good deeds and actions. but just because you smile doesn't mean your not sad on the inside.Quiet people have the loudest minds. It may not be the quiet person in the back of the room, it may not be the girl with long sleeves. It could be the star football player, or the cutest girl. Depression is not noticeable all the time. Some people hide there feeling because they don't want to hurt anyone. So they have to fake smile. But hey, just because they fake smile, doesn't mean there always sad. So that's why I'm so happy and cheery all the time. Its because I want people to have a happy life. Better than mine, even when i have a horrible day. I will always come to school with a cheery mood. Not that i care about myself but i care about the community around me.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I myself haven't come out, I am considered to be in the gender-neutral spectrum. This is when you do not really feel a connection to any gender, and wish to remain away and seem neutral, as the name states. I do not feel comfortable coming out because of how scary and oppressive the school seems. I always have to think to myself, "How would a normal 14 year old girl act? Dress? Speak?," I have that constant fear of people talking to their groups about me, saying horrible things that they won't have the courage to say to my face. I certainly am tired of that; I am tired of living-the-lie that I have lived my whole life. I just wish children in this area weren't so judgmental and catty, I want to feel loved. I want better friends, friends that will listen and care for you; not friends that dump their problems out on you and expect you to know how to fix it. The-lie that us teenagers seem to live day by day hurts, especially the ones that are a part of the LGBTQQ community. I apologise for rambling, but some things just need to be said around here.
ReplyDeleteI have feel comfortable being who I am not caring at all what people thought of me.There's never been a need to act fake with who I truly am.Its important to be yourself and be comfortable because at the end of the day you are who you are and nobody should care what you do,it doesn't involve them.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though I am stopped from being myself quite often even if it is not by others but just by myself. We feel pressured by society when we may have certain interests that are not seen as "mainstream". But when I feel this way, I stop and think, "what is normal? Or is this who I really am?" This helps me and acts almost as a reality check for me. I do tend to think about what others will say or think and that does influence my actions but I am working on being 100% me.
ReplyDeleteYes I have felt the need to be honest with myself, however, I felt like if I was, people would hate me for who I am, and that I would be made fun of. However my views are changing, and since nobody is going to read this anyways, I'll admit that I am bi-sexual and Ms beaumont, if you read this don't tell the class, or anyone else. So I am going to slowly come out and be honest little by little, and I hope it won't change anyones views of me. :D
ReplyDeleteI have not felt this way, but I know of people who do. It's hard to tell the truth and I respect those who have the courage to do so. It upsets me though that some people are afraid to come out because they are scared of what others think. People now judge others and bully them because of their actions, looks, ect. I don't want anyone to feel less than others because they aren't "normal".
ReplyDeleteI've always had a problem with my anxiety, but I never really told anyone. Only has my team seen me and I was very nervous to tell my parents. But it's something I knew I needed to speak up about because not calling for help was definitely a mistake, because it happened many times. I definitely think speaking up and telling someone will make you feel so much better.
ReplyDeleteI feel like being myself is really important no matter how people see me, sometimes I think about being a fake me or someone completely different but I realize that there's no point in it because I'm way more comfortable in being myself.
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