Everyone says “Stand up for your rights.”
“Don’t let other people have any say in your life.”
But when I try that
Everyone just stares at me, thinking “This isn’t a big deal.”
“Whats wrong with you?”
“If you don’t like it, ignore it.”
When I couldn’t ignore it
People said that the problem was all in my head
So even though I knew what was wrong
And knew the words to say…
I stayed silent.
When someone told my friend that he was hurting her
For just existing as he is
I told her that she was hurting him
Because existing in a minority (that she didn’t know I was in)
Doesn’t hurt anyone, much less should be declared a sin.
My friend looked happy for a second
But then shut his mouth when that awful girl said
“It wasn’t like I was hurting anyone.”
“My statement was true.”
“If you don’t like that, you can just shut your mouth, too.”
So I stopped speaking my truth.
When I saw people hurting like my friend did back then
I didn’t stop it.
Didn’t even try to step in.
And when people called me a f** and a r*****
I stayed silent
And let the hate slip in.
The worst part wasn’t even random people saying these things
It was my family
My friends
Reaffirming this thought.
All of this baked into my skin,
Made me hate myself even more from within.
I wanted to end it
Leave this place that put hate over everything…
But I couldn’t.
Because I remembered my friend’s small amount of joy
When I stepped in.