My Story
| By Anthony - Apr 13, 2009 9:22:27 PM PT |
| Also listed in: Fresno Equality Team |
Activism to me is finding your voice and being able to effectively use your voice. Activism to me is using your voice for those who have not yet found their voice. Your voice is the most powerful tool you possess. With your voice you can rally the troops, tell your story, call for help, and share your soul. Without your voice you allow others to speak/act on your behalf. Without your voice you loose your own power. When you surrender your voice you surrender control.
Finding my voice has been a bumpy road full of pot-holes and detours. I grew up in a family that fostered behaviors like drug use and abuse. Growing up in this environment I knew I was different, I knew I was destined for something better than selling dope and beating on people. Living through all the mental and physical abuse I learned a valuable lesson...you are responsible for yourself and do not expect anyone to have pity for you. I quickly became a shy and quiet child throughout school. My grades suffered as well as my social skills. I became more withdrawn and tended to only associate with few people. I made it through High School being called a "Fag" and "Queer" (as many times one can ever hear those words), in all those hateful words I kept my silence. I felt helpless and trapped in a world full of hate.
It wasn't until after High School that I finally decided to come out and finally tell people that I was gay. No sooner than the words "I'm gay" came out of my mouth did I feel a strange sensation, I finally started to feel confident. Once I was able to come to terms with my own reality I started to have a sensation of power, but what good what this feeling do me now? I began at that point to remember back to my childhood and remember how I was silent through everything that had happened. I started to think "what if I had spoken up?" It was then I realized that I had the power to help someone else. I had the power to help be the voice of the person that was too scared to speak for themselves. I could act as the voice that I never had. I was no longer helpless.
These days people now grow tired of hearing my voice, nonetheless I am still using it to help people in need and for worthy causes. Marriage equality is important to me because I will not have my voice taken away once again. By not being able to say the words "I do" my voice as well as my civil rights are being stripped away. I will not allow myself and others to be taken to that place where we feel helpless and trapped in a world full of hate. I am not silent, you are not silent and WE are not silent, let our VOICES be heard!
Anthony Ash, 27
Fresno, California.
Finding my voice has been a bumpy road full of pot-holes and detours. I grew up in a family that fostered behaviors like drug use and abuse. Growing up in this environment I knew I was different, I knew I was destined for something better than selling dope and beating on people. Living through all the mental and physical abuse I learned a valuable lesson...you are responsible for yourself and do not expect anyone to have pity for you. I quickly became a shy and quiet child throughout school. My grades suffered as well as my social skills. I became more withdrawn and tended to only associate with few people. I made it through High School being called a "Fag" and "Queer" (as many times one can ever hear those words), in all those hateful words I kept my silence. I felt helpless and trapped in a world full of hate.
It wasn't until after High School that I finally decided to come out and finally tell people that I was gay. No sooner than the words "I'm gay" came out of my mouth did I feel a strange sensation, I finally started to feel confident. Once I was able to come to terms with my own reality I started to have a sensation of power, but what good what this feeling do me now? I began at that point to remember back to my childhood and remember how I was silent through everything that had happened. I started to think "what if I had spoken up?" It was then I realized that I had the power to help someone else. I had the power to help be the voice of the person that was too scared to speak for themselves. I could act as the voice that I never had. I was no longer helpless.
These days people now grow tired of hearing my voice, nonetheless I am still using it to help people in need and for worthy causes. Marriage equality is important to me because I will not have my voice taken away once again. By not being able to say the words "I do" my voice as well as my civil rights are being stripped away. I will not allow myself and others to be taken to that place where we feel helpless and trapped in a world full of hate. I am not silent, you are not silent and WE are not silent, let our VOICES be heard!
Anthony Ash, 27
Fresno, California.
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