The Fate We Share, 7: Epilogue / The Message
02 Mar 2022Meowers
Sadly, this story is based on true events and real experience. As you may guess, I've [Meowers, author of the character] been through this crap as well, I was judged, I'm still being judged and society may see me as an inferior person just because of this. And it's a second possible factor that can make my life in the society worse than it already is, being forced to hide my interests, my sexuality, my previous relationships.
And, by writing the following comments without specifying whose actually they are, we, writers of the story, want to further emphasise the nature of the problem addressed: it might be happening right now in your own reality, with someone you know.
One of the authors of this story has worked with young people, and has met and supported many that are discovering and trying to understand themselves. And she see the prejudice that they face, and she witness the bullying they are subjected to. Which they shouldn't have to be subjected to. Some of these kids grow up feeling like there is something wrong with them, some self harm because of it, and there are some young people that have taken their own lives to escape from it. And that is so sad, so wrong and so unjust.
Part #5 of this story, 'Despair', is based on real suicide notes, written by the victims of homophobic prejudices.
I seen it too much. It's making me angry, seeing how younger and less experienced people are getting bullied and ashamed for who they are. And they're forced to interact with groups of other people that they can't select or filter out, during their studying or first jobs that they have to go to, just to have at least any money in their pockets. I was bullied, not completely annihilated, but it wasn't a pleasant time, in the school as well. So, it made me quite 'thick-skinned'. And seeing that a single person is almost powerless to do anything, I help those teens to overcome what this world may throw at them. To become thick-skinned too, to be able to live their lives, not what society wants from them.
And I worked with teenagers during my volunteering period, and I'm still helping people over social medias with those matters, and mental health too. And it's important for those who live in shit backward countries with institutionalised bigotry and homophobic laws and people that write those laws. And mental clinics that look like prisons. Being a feminist, I'm also bothered by the common problems of women that are relatable to me too. And I'm doing the same, speaking to younger girls, I'm telling them what they may face, and how to overcome it, how to find an exit from their personal situations, how I'd overcame it in my past.
Issues about objectifying women and lesbian relationships between two 'conventionally attractive' women is a problem not only to the LGBT, but also being heavily discussed within feminist groups, as it stems out of sexism 'as is', and I perfectly know it. Some men like to depict fake lesbian relationships and they're making them look like porn movies that they use for their fantasies. And it's an industry as well. And also, it's so deeply ingrained in our flawed society, that some women do that too, because nobody taught them to look from another point of view. So, I'm telling that to younger girls too, explaining how and why that stuff works and why it's still alive and happening. And problem of seeing less images of gay men are connected to this crap as well, because it's women who are being objectified.
As well as the young people we have worked with, we have gay friends. One of the authors of this story has gay family members. We can't speak for all, but most have had to go on that journey and endure those things at some point along the way. And so it takes strength and courage for a person to realise who they are, to openly admit it, and to rightfully be proud of who they are. Proud to have made it through the journey, to a point where they can openly love and be happy with whoever they want, to have had the strength to be who they are supposed to be, and to stand against the prejudice.
When people write stories, having not experienced or witnessed these things for themselves first hand, not knowing or understanding the reality, whether they write them to try to attract attention, or for their own misguided fantasies, they are missing or ignoring that journey that real people have to go on. And without realising, or caring, they diminish, devalue and disregard the experiences of real people. People that matter. Good people, who's lives don't deserve to be degraded to cheap entertainment by people that can't see beyond their own fantasies or shallow desire for attention.
And the mental health topics. As I've said earlier, I understandably see it as an important thing too. And it's a duality again. As in the 'sexuality' case, some people understand what's going on and write about real things or things that are so close to reality that you genuinely believe in them. And I'm glad to see that other people, who aren't affected by any of those issues, still trying to understand and say 'this is important and this is happening' to the society. But I hate when people write about mental health just to get more attention, without having any real knowledge, real understanding and real respect.
So, some people don't know what they're writing about, and that sucks, because still too many of them are putting mental health topics in their texts or other creative stuff just for attention. But I want to believe that some 'normal' people are genuinely interested. Maybe some of them will receive medical education and become psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists or at least volunteers like me. And I'll gladly share my own experiences and observations with them if there will be a reason for it. I'm already helping students with their research from time to time, telling in detail about anxiety, bi-polar and post-traumatic things. They can change the future for people, making it better.
We who suffer with genuine mental health conditions don't want to live like this, we never asked for it. We don't want to have to fight every day to function like a normal person, we don't want to have to deal with this shit all the time, to know that we could face a catastrophic problem with it without warning. But we have to. And we do. And it isn't fair. But that doesn't matter. If people respect what we do. What we endure. What all others with these real conditions endure. What we survive. Then that's fine. That's all we ask. All we need. Just please don’t demean and marginalise our experience, our fight and our existence, for personal gain or entertainment.
Meowers & J-Dog162