A Positive Letter to Her 14-Year Old Self
“Life is so hard right now. Every day, you wake up wondering who else will find out your secret and hate you.”
“Yesterday, I tweeted a response to the hateful homophobic comments made by a Northern Irish pastor, James McConnell. Mr McConnell said: ‘Two lesbians living together are not a family. They are sexual perverts playing let’s pretend.’
I said: ‘People like Pastor McConnell made 14 year old me feel like I was better off dead, rather than deal with the shame of being gay.’
… a number of people asked me to write a blog post summarising what I said. Someone remarked that maybe some 14 year old would read it and take hope. So I decided to write a letter to my 14 year old self, 10 years later, as a 24 year old looking back.”
Lyra McKee, 29, journalist, gay activist; killed covering Northern Ireland unrest, April 18. 2019
Kid,
It’s going to be okay.
I know you’re not feeling that way right now. You’re sitting in school. The other kids are making fun of you. You told the wrong…
