1. Accept yourself for who you are.

A magazine called The Ladder showed

lesbians they should accept themselves. The magazines purpose, as
symbolized by the cover drawing of women in front of a tall ladder, was
primarily to educate and to encourage lesbians to accept themselves and
grow in confidence. (Garden 12)
2. Acceptance is not always gained. Elizabeth Taberd, a girl from one of the
many stories in my book, is not accepted by her mother because she is
homosexual. But then I couldnt stand it anymore and I got real angry and I
yelled something like Yes, I love her, and yes, Ive kissed her and shes
kissed me and I dont see anything wrong in that. When I said that, she
screeched something like Homosexuality is what is wrong with that!
(Garden 22)
3. Kindness is the best gift. Jinx, a girl in one of the stories in my book meets
a man named Tommer, and a silent woman named Cora. Tommer explains he
wants to go get a horse, and possibly food, so Jinx gave him $5 and offered to
watch Cora. This lady says shell keep an eye on you while Rex and I go see
a man about a horse. Maybe well find some breakfast, too, you never know.
Quickly, Jinx reached into her pocket and brought out the sweat-dampened
and crumpled five-dollar bill she always carried just in case. Here, she said
boldly, surprising herself again. But Kathy would do it, she knew. Get us all
some breakfast, okay? (Garden 43)
4. Discrimination is not uncommon. The chapter called The Decade in my
book talks about how homosexual people were shunned by heterosexuals
and were called sick, immoral, or nonhuman. Up until then, the gay
communitys protests against mistreatment had been largely verbal and
nonviolent. But tensions had been building for years, not only because of the
many other forms of discrimination and the belief of most straight people that
homosexuals were inferior, immoral, or sick-in effect, subhuman. (Garden
52)
5. Love is not evil. Charity Brown, the reverends daughter of a town called
Port Tilden, Her father always taught that love was a sin and homosexuality
was evil. Their love was all that and more, and, no matter what anyone
thought, it could not possibly be all the evil things her father said it was-for
werent they gentle and kind with each other, and didnt she feel in love with
Gods whole beautiful world because of the love she felt for Andrea? (Garden
66) Her father treated her love for Andrea as evil, but Charity knew he was
wrong.
6. Anger and hate will burst out eventually. Waverly Terras, a young man,
witnessed the destruction and outcry of the Stonewall Inn, where the police
had been terrorizing homosexuals continuously. The point is that on that

June night, bad stuff like those bar raids and the armys rules and other
things that I found out later had been simmering for ages and had been
protested about softly and politely, finally burst angrily out into the open,
giving birth to a whole new movement, louder and stronger than before. And
thats made me and Larry realize theres no stopping us now. (Garden 77) All
of the hatred experienced at the Stonewall Inn burst out like a monster
breaking its shell. It was bound to happen.
7. No matter who you are, others may still treat you horribly. Many
highly decorated military members were once discharged for being
homosexual. No matter who they were, how long they had served, what they
had done for the US, they were discharged for being homosexual. The
servicewoman perhaps best known for protesting the militarys anti-gay
policy emerged long after the seventies. She was the much-decorated army
nurse Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, who came out in 1989 when she
was being questioned before being given a security clearance-and as a result
was discharged. (Garden 84) Cammermeyer was highly decorated, and very
dedicated to the army, yet they quickly discharged her for being homosexual.

8. Spreading awareness helps others. During the 1980s, HIV and AIDS
rallies became a common occurrence. These rallies spread AIDS and HIV
awareness, while also helping people with AIDS/HIV get the much needed
funds to stay alive. The gay community rallied as never before. AIDS walks,
red ribbons, speeches, and articles increased the publics awareness of the
disease and gradually reduced the hysteria it caused. (Garden 119) They did
this to prevent others from getting HIV/AIDS so they didnt have to suffer until
their ends.

9. Silence can kill a person. Lily, a young lesbian girl, witnessed her best
friend, Michael, getting attacked and beaten to near death because of their
sexuality. Both her and Michael vowed to never tell anyone of what the
attackers, a boy named Duncan and his friends, did to them. They did this to
keep safe from them, so Duncan didnt kill them. But, they waited too long
and Michael died from the wounds he gained from being attacked, and Lily
was forced to tell on Duncan because of what he did to her friend. Lily knew
then, but she let her mother lead her to the bed, sit her down, take her
hands, and say gently, Lily, I dont know how to make this easier, but that
was Michaels dad. Michael died at about three this morning. (Garden 141)
Michael was going to die, whether they told on Duncan or not, but, the
silence killed him. He couldnt say who, or what attacked him, or, killed him.
The silence truly killed him.

10.Forgiveness can save a family. When Karen, a young woman, came out to
her parents, and told them about her girlfriend, Roxy, they were unaccepting
and seemed very betrayed. But, within time, her parents slowly began to
accept her for who she is, the moment both of her parents came to the
Parents Night (for her GSBA school group) and showed they truly loved and
cared for her. Happy birthday, kiddo, he whispered, Im a little late with
this, but I promise I wont be again. I-Ive got a lot to get used to, but-well,
youre still my daughter. I just need some time. He smiled, a little crookedly,
but hey, it was still a smile. (Garden 164) Her father came around after
pushing her away, which saved their family.

Garden, Nancy. Hear Us Out!: Lesbian and Gay Stories of Struggle, Progress and
Hope, 1950 to the Present. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007. Print.