Bullied

Bullied, called names, threatened, physically harmed

Discriminated against, ridiculed, shamed, cast aside

Girly, sissy, queer, homo, fag, butch, dyke

Sinners, perverse, doomed for hell

Effeminate, promiscuous, unnatural, it ain’t right

Your book says only opposite sexes can unite

But were we not all created by the same God

You think they chose to be gay, bi, les, trans or queer

Or chose to be trapped in the wrong bod

Is it any of our business who they choose to love

Hold hands with, call their husband or wife

How many more kids have to take their own lives

Was being born left or right handed our choice

Did we choose to be short or tall

Did you have a say about the color of your eyes

The color of your skin or the size of your thumb

We didn’t choose to be straight, gay or bi

It’s in our genes, the cards we were dealt

Geopolitics still dictate where they call home

Religious zealots always try to build another wall

Two steps forward one step back

Years of struggle just to get their human rights

Exactly how does their certificate on paper

Affect the sanctimony of marriage

Rampant divorce, adultery, spousal abuse

Heterosexual marriage, has it fared better by that much

Close your eyes and imagine for a sec

What if your child, brother, sister or a friend

After years of living with a secret and a lie

Finally came out of the closet, only to get

Threatened, bullied, ridiculed and or physically harmed

I ask you again

Just for wanting to be themselves

How many more people have to live in fear

Living in fear in a closet filled with ghosts

Ghosts of all those before them who preferred to die

Than to face the unapproving eyes of the people they love

Health, happiness, justice, equality, acceptance

Love, companionship and peace of mind

Isn’t that ultimately what we all want

Empathy, it’s not a whole lot to ask for

Times, they are a changing though

But clearly we’re not there yet

Got a long ways to go

Tolerance and acceptance

Slowly becoming the norm

Longing for a future where

That kid can feel safe to come out

Keep his or her head up high with pride

Scream from the top of his lungs and say

“It’s okay to be me, the authentic me

I’m still loved and I still belong”

I pray for the day

We all learn to

Live and let live

Accept and respect

Not discriminate based on

Someone’s sexual orientation

We might just save someone’s life

Perhaps even our own child