We all just deserve love and Respect

The other day on facebook, I was scrolling along just like I normally do when I am bored and end up clicking the little blue button on my bookmarks. As I was scrolling I noticed a facebook friend posted an article that was in response to a fairly recent youtube video of a young boy named Ryan who happens to be transgender.
I had seen the youtube video the day before seeing this friends article which was judging the parents and the child for being transgender.
It was hard for me not to want to cuss everyone out for being judgmental assholes for blaming this child's parents and for saying that being transgender is not real. I feel like a lot of people just have no idea what being transgender is, people are not educated about LBGT issues but instead keep themselves uneducated while judging from a stance that they have no prior knowledge about.

Here is the post from facebook that I had to comment on.

Here is the link to the 7 minute short documentary about Ryan 

Issues involving Gay rights or any LBGT issues really get me heated when people are rude, disrespectful and unloving - especially people who consider themselves Christian. 

I am a very religious person, I was born into a very religious family and into a very religious culture- a Christian culture that tends to get mocked quite often - I am a Mormon, and a lot of people have a lot of negative views of Mormons, and one thing I hear all the time is that Mormons hate gay people. 

While this is a stereotype I would have to say that if I was gay, transgender or bisexual I would also assume that all Mormons or very Christian people judge me, because very religious people tend to not take the time to put themselves in that other persons shoes. I think a lot of super religious just haven't befriended someone who is in the LBGT community. I think that people judge others instead of remembering that WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD. WE ALL HAVE OUR DIFFERENCES, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, AND NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US WILL EVER BE PERFECT IN THIS LIFE.

Everyone is entitled to their own believes, there are those people out there that believe that being gay/ transgender is a choice, and that it is "curable" or whatever. But honestly, it doesn't matter! All that this child needs, and all that the people around us need(no matter what their trial/tribulation is) is love, respect and acceptance. 

God loves all his children, God loves every person whether they are Tall, Short, White, Black, Big, Small, Girl, Boy, Gay or Straight, Transgender, Asexual or whatever else. God loves us all, and he created us all with unique and different challenges while on this earth.

The way I think about it is that LBGT people have been given that trial of being gay/bi/lesbian/transgender for a reason by God. God knows each and everyone of us personally, he knows our struggles, he knows our weaknesses. But through the Lord, our weaknesses are made strengths. And in the life to come, God will sort through and fix every thing, there is no need for us to worry about and judge someone because they are Gay or whatever else. We just need to accept them for who they are, we need to love eachother! Its as simple as that.

I am a Mormon and I am a very strong ally and supporter of LBGT rights. One of my close friends is Transgender, He just got a surgery date and I am so happy for him. I used to not understand Transgender issues until I started to really ask him questions, but even though I may not fully understand what he thinks of himself and of his body, all I need to understand is that he considers himself a male, and that it is okay with me. I had to realize that all he needed was a friend, all he needed was love, and all he needed was support from the people around him so he could carry on through life feeling accepted and loved. 

Its time to put aside our differences, Its time to stop judging others, and Its time to give up Hate and fear, because everyone just needs love and kindness. 

Not a single one of us is perfect, if you do not want to be judged harshly at the last day, then you must stop judging others. You do not know where their heart lies, you do not know their trials, you do not understand all that they go through. But instead of arguing about someone elses life, love them. Focus on what really matters, which is your relationship with God, your relationship with yourself, with your family and with the people all around you. 

When it comes down to it, if Christ were to come to you right now, would you be able to follow him? Would you be able to love every child of God unconditionally, even those who have made terrible mistakes- like murder. If you cannot, then you still have a lot of work to do. 

One of my favorite LDS hymns is "Lord I would follow thee"

 Savior, may I learn to love thee,

Walk the path that thou hast shown,
Pause to help and lift another,
Finding strength beyond my own.
Savior, may I learn to love thee-
Lord, I would follow thee.

Who am I to judge another
When I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
Sorrow that the eye can't see.
Who am I to judge another?
Lord, I would follow thee.

I would be my brother's keeper;
I would learn the healer's art.
To the wounded and the weary
I would show a gentle heart.
I would be my brother's keeper-
Lord, I would follow thee.

Savior, may I love my brother
As I know thou lovest me,
Find in thee my strength, my beacon,
For thy servant I would be.
Savior, may I love my brother-
Lord, I would follow thee.

I hope we all may learn to love eachother just a little bit more, and stop the judging. Because like in this song Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly? Remember that phrase the next time you are thinking something judgmental. You never know what someone else is going through. Just love. No hate.

with love, Arianna