By LightFieldStudios at Envato Elements.
(For how i crafted these quotes, see What i changed in survey-takers' responses and What i didn't change.)
We are...
just kids.
just people.
like cis/het people.
human, too.
not just political pawns; we're real people.
still normal.
developing just like all teens are. But our identities give us additional vulnerability.
choosing to be queer; no one is forcing us.
regular people.
just trying to be happy.
still a part of the LGTBQA+ community, even if we're cis and in a straight-looking relationship.
born this way.
constantly living outside of our comfort zone.
as normal as your kids are.
just like you in some ways.
just as normal as everyone else.
just trying to live as ourselves and survive. Transitioning is a part of that.
We need...
the same thing as other kids: love and safety.
more love and support than our cis, straight peers.
your empathy.
you to know that we often struggle mentally.
and deserve rights, help, and medical care.
opportunities to thrive.
you to know that we have ordinary interests and hobbies.
places where we can be our true selves.
We want...
to be happy.
you to love us, respect us, and let us be ourselves.
you to know that we experience pain and other feelings just like you do.
if we're binary and trans, to be treated the same as binary cis people.
you to know that being queer and trans isn't all that we are.
a normal, meaningful life.
We deserve...
respect and equality.
to have our humanity recognized.
to be treated the same way you would a cis or straight kid.
the right to just be kids.
the same respect, privileges, and opportunities that everyone else gets.
to have our humanity respected.
to be treated as if we matter — because we do.
