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Hi, I'm Mikey.
My name's Lucero.
-Hi, I'm Alex. -I'm Kristina.
Hello, my name is Tina.
Hello, my name is Guy.
-My name's Jennifer. -My name's Jose.
My name is Matt. I'm actually a returning student here at Sacramento City College.
My name is Hilary.
Hi, my name's Luke.
My name is Jonathan. I am the president of Sacramento City College's ***-Straight Alliance.
Hi, my name is Jose, and...
I'm gay.
I grew up in Utah...difficult childhood.
I grew up in a Catholic home with very old-fashioned parents.
-We went to high school together. -Rose-MONT! [Laughter]
I grew up in a really small town called Dixon, California.
It probably has more cows and livestock than people!
I went to a Catholic middle school and a Catholic high school.
Super-conservative, very anti-gay.
I was not 'out' in Arizona, where I lived.
My definition of who I was changed often...sometimes it was daily.
Especially me being black, I kind of had trouble defining who I was.
At times I felt lost.
I always felt like something was wrong. Like something wasn't right with me.
I was called 'gay' as early as first grade, and I didn't even know what 'gay' was.
That continued for a long time, all the way through elementary school, and I was constantly called that term.
***. ***. Sissy. ***. Fairy. Psycho-***. The whole thing...
People threw things at me in class.
I bullied myself.
I used to ostracize myself a lot, because I didn't know if people would understand what I was going through.
Where do I fit in? I like guys and I like girls. So where do I go, you know?
We came to school, and... the vibe wasn't right.
I was contemplating suicide.
I struggled with depression.
I was suicidal because I just knew something wasn't right.
...and I asked my friend, and she said that...
Nick killed himself.
I was tired of being pushed around.
He was teased by his father, his brother, and people at school.
It was all just because they thought I was gay.
I just wanted to shut myself off.
That was someone I could have been a friend with.
It's not worth it. It is absolutely not worth it.
There's life after high school. There's life tomorrow. There's life way into your future.
There is a whole lot more of your life to live.
He would have been an awesome person, and I would have been great friends with him.
Don't go down the path of ending things, because that just lets them win.
And it just hurt me so bad, because I knew what he was going through, I heard the stories...
I just wanted to say, this is just high school, we're going to get past this, don't let these people faze you.
It's temporary.
He decided that suicide was his only way out, when it wasn't.
We are so much more than what society wants you to think we are.
Depression is temporary, but death is permanent.
I'm so glad that when I was in junior high and high school that I did not kill myself.
Because life is so much better. Life has gotten so much better.
Here I am, I'm still here, I'm alive...
And my life's just been a hell of a lot better!
I can't tell you how many things I've done.
I've been able to attend college. I'm going to pursue my love of theater in my favorite city in the world, San Francisco.
I've been able to travel, meet new people, take pictures of the places I went...
I have met so many amazing people over the years who I love, and I know that they love me. Because just like you, we're amazing! [wink]
Ever since I've been out, I've been able to find out so much about myself.
Ever since I came out, I've had a stronger relationship with my parents.
I've been able to raise my beautiful son and watch him grow and blossom into a wonderful person...
Just like you can grow and blossom into the wonderful, special person you are, too.
There are so many wonderful things that have happened in my life.
I've been a firefighter, I've been an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), and now I'm working on my Nursing degree.
I'm going to get my degree, and I'm going to live an awesome life.
I'm loved, and I can love.
I've been with my partner for 3 years now.
We love each other, we support each other, and he just makes my life so rich.
I have met some of the most incredible people in the world who have truly brought out the inner me.
When I moved here and I just said, 'forget it'...it worked out for me!
Living well is the best revenge.
I've been able to live my life fearlessly and shamelessly.
I'm 25 now, and I'm looking back on high school...
And that is just really a tiny dot in my whole life.
You are valued. You are fabulous.
No one else can do what you do.
There are people out there, even with a different *** orientation, who value a person's well-being...
And who love you for who you are, no matter what.
The world needs you.
If you're feeling like you're in a crisis and you need to talk to somebody...
Call a crisis hotline. Call somebody. Talk to somebody.
You can call the Trevor Project, you can call suicide hotlines...
There's always somebody out there to talk to you.
You know, you're here for a reason.
I just want you to know that you have that inner strength in you.
I just want you to know that you are loved.
You're never alone.
You have the ability to make such a difference in the world.
And nobody--NOBODY!--can take that away from you.
No one else can define you.
Continue living this beautiful life!
-It gets better! -Stick around!
You were born this way.
Be strong, be fierce, and...
Don't be a drag, just be a queen. Or a king!
We just want you to know it gets better.
-It gets better. -It does get better.
***-Straight Alliance wants you to know...
IT GETS BETTER!