BBP STORIES: I feel more comfortable, I feel more strong

My history can be from my leadership.

When I started in school, was kind of hard for me. I started being, do what I want, be who, who I am.

I remember that people call me Indian. But I’m not from India. I’m from Ecuador. But I just start to feel bad about it. But no one knows that, really knows that I am gay.

When I come out as a gay boy, people just start like, surprised. I don’t know why. They start talking about me behind me and saying I am the stupid boy. But that’s fine.

I go through a lot bad time, like I remember when Somali boys push me down when I was going to my chemistry class. No one’s going to help me that time. I just feel bad about myself because I, I thought that was wrong. I start crying; I start just feeling bad. When I told one of my teachers about it, they just start helping me a lot. There’s a good support in the school. They have friendly teachers.

They just are like, “OK. I’m here to help you.” But I didn’t feel good. I’m trying to do my best in school to surprise my friends, but that was not enough. I just surprised my teacher but not my friends. Everyone’s coming like my enemy, trying to push me down, talking behind me, talk about me bad things. Telling to all my other classmates that I was gay. I was a stupid boy. Then no—. Never going to be somebody else. And no one was going to take my place in this school.

But when I started getting enough support from my teachers,

I just let everything go. Just be myself. Just start doing leadership things. Just start helping my new classmates, helping the new people who come to the country doesn’t speak English. Helping them, try to help in math class with kids. Trying to teach the every single kid where bathroom is in the school, where they can go if they need help. I start feeling more stronger like never, never in my life.

I start feeling like I can do it/ If no one did it for me, I can do for them. But this point, some students that I know, are kind of against me because I am gay. They think that I can do nothing for anyone at school. But they were wrong because I can do more than them. More than what they are doing. Bullying. I can do more that what they think.

They just start talking about me. My classmate who I was helping, they said I’m not doing anything for them. When I was working for my school, doing anti bullying campaign, helping them in school, trying to get everyone, get around, knowing everyone together. But that was not enough. The bullying was going on. But it’s still a lie.

I’m more strong that what they think. Before their words were killing me. But now their words are making me strong. I really even know why are they, what’s going on because I feel more comfortable about myself. I feel more strong.

That’s my story about leadership because people think that gay people cannot lead a community. And people think you can’t do event because you are gay. That’s mean. You can do anything.

I have both hands. I have both feet. I have mouth. I have nose. I have eyes. I have hair. So I am a human, and I can help to my other classmates. I can help to other humans. That’s my story. Thank you.