JAMES CORDEN DELIVERS HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO 'CARPOOL KARAOKE' INSPIRATION GEORGE MICHAEL

James Corden won’t let the sun go down on George Michael.

To start 2017, the “Late Late Show” host offered a heartfelt tribute to the singer who died at the end of 2016. 

“I feel like I’ve loved George Michael as long as I’ve kind of loved music,” Corden said.

He added, “I can remember so many specific times in my life where I might’ve felt on my own, and George’s music would feel like you just ― would feel like you would listen to a song, and he would reach his hand out and tell you that you weren’t on your own, and that these feelings were not particular to you.”

Corden told the story of how Michael inspired his hit segment “Carpool Karaoke” by starring with him in another similar segment for Red Nose Day, a charity fundraising event. Corden recalls how the first artist who agreed to do “Carpool Karaoke” was Mariah Carey (New Year’s Eve snafus aside), and she only did so because of Michael.

“If it’s good enough for George, then it’s good enough for me,” said Carey. And the rest is internet history ... 

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

ORLANDO TO PURCHASE PULSE NIGHTCLUB & TURN IT INTO A MEMORIAL

The city of Orlando, Florida has reached a deal to purchase the Pulse nightclub and turn it into a memorial for the victims of what was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s office confirmed the queer nightclub’s $2.25 million purchase in an email to The Huffington Post Tuesday, pending a November 14 vote by City Council. His office added that there are no immediate plans to change the site.

“We do know that we want to maintain it for a period of time ― 12 to 18 months ― so that people from around the country and world who want to visit the site can do so,” the mayor said in a video posted to Twitter.

Since the June 12 shooting, in which 49 people were killed and 53 were wounded, the downtown site has served as a makeshift memorial that has been visited by tourists and politicians alike.

Dyer, speaking to the Orlando Sentinel, said the city’s ultimate goal will be to “create something to honor the memory of the victims that are deceased [and] those that were injured, and a testament to the resilience of our community.”

He said he will solicit ideas for the memorial from the surrounding community.

The purchase price is roughly $600,000 more than its appraised value, the Sentinel reported.

The nightclub’s owner, Barbara Poma, who owns it with her husband Posario, had previously pledged through a spokesperson to turn it into a memorial to the victims, most of whom identified as queer people of color.

Barbara Poma opened the dance venue in 2004 in honor of her late brother, John,who died from AIDS in 1991.

Back in August, it was reported that a newly established nonprofit called OnePULSE had filed plans to turn the nightclub into a memorial.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

YOUNG THUG SAYS HE WANTS PEOPLE TO 'STOP BELIEVING IN GENDERS'

Rapper Young Thug is once again pushing beyond traditional notions of gender and gender-based expectations. This time, the artist is doing so an interview for his cover on V Magazine.

Born Jeffery Lamar Williams, the Atlanta rapper challenged gendered attitudes and assumptions when he wore a long, ruffled dress on the cover of his “JEFFERY” mixtape in Aug. 2016. The decision inevitably sparked a larger conversation about the importance of the photo with regard to gender and black masculinity. 

In this most recent interview with V, Young Thug opens up about his inspiration for the image, saying that he wants people to “stop believing in genders.”

While he doesn’t elaborate beyond that in the interview, the rapper has previously gone on record to say that he doesn’t believe in gender himself.

“In my world of course, it don’t matter,” he previously stated when discussing his own perceptions of gender. “You could be a gangster with a dress, you could be a gangster with baggy pants. I feel like there’s no such thing as gender.”

Williams’ sentiments are part of a larger cultural understanding of gender outside of binary terms, and a recognition that there are a multitude of ways of being in the world when it comes to gender and identity.

Just look at Facebook, which earlier this year introduced a huge list of options when it comes to describing one’s gender on their personal social networking page, or the emergence of mainstream transgender stars like Laverne Cox, who recently became the first openly transgender person nominated for a primetime Emmy.

We  are excited to see more artists like Young Thug contribute to an ongoing ― and evolving ― conversation about the gender spectrum.

Read Young Thug’s interview in V Magazine in full.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

STUNNING VIDEO SHOWS FIRST PRIDE FLAG LAUNCHED INTO OUTER SPACE

Now there’s a new reason to seriously start investigating the possibility of civilian space travel: one of our favorite non-profit organizations just declared the universe LGBT-friendly.

Planting Peace’s latest display of solidarity with the queer community involves a Pride flag, a high altitude balloon and a GoPro camera. The group, which regularly launches social activism campaigns to raise awareness about issues like LGBT rights and deworming children in developing countries, used the balloon to elevatea rainbow flag up through the Earth’s atmosphere. It eventually reached its peak altitude approximately 21.1 miles above the planet.

The flag remained airborne, floating in outer space for just over three hours before making its descent back to Earth, in what Planting Peace says is a symbolic declaration of the universe as an LGBT-friendly space.

“It was an honor to send the first Pride flag into space, and it provided a wonderful opportunity to show that Planting Peace will not stop fighting for LGBTQ rights until all sexual and gender minorities experience full, fundamental rights in every corner of the universe,” Aaron Jackson, President of Planting Peace, told The Huffington Post. “The backdrop of space gave us a stunning, inspiring and peaceful canvas for our message of hope to our LGBTQ family. I would love for LGBTQ children who are struggling to see this, and look up to the stars and remember that the universe shines brightly for them, and they are not alone.”

Over the last three years, Planting Peace has engaged in a number of high-profile displays of LGBT visibility and activism. The nonprofit created The Equality House, a rainbow-colored building across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church compound in Topeka, Kansas, in 2013 and purchased another home nearby earlier this year to create the Transgender Pride house. These houses stand in opposition to the Church’s hate ― both literally and figuratively ― and operate as safe spaces for queer people in the area.

The organization has also sponsored a number of billboards calling out anti-LGBT bigotry, including one in North Carolina blasting the anti-queer House Bill 2, another in the hometown of anti-same sex marriage clerk Kim Davis and, most recently, one near the 2016 Republican National Convention featuring an image of Ted Cruz and Donald Trump kissing.

In a move similar to the launching of the Pride flag into outer space, Planting Peace declared Antartica “the world’s first LGBT-friendly continent” in March 2016.

Thank you for all that you do, Planting Peace! This is truly something remarkable.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

MAGIC & COOKIE JOHNSON OPEN UP ABOUT THEIR SON COMING OUT AS GAY

Cookie and Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., sat down with “Good Morning America” on Wednesday for a rare and candid joint conversation about living with Magic’s HIV-positive status and their collective journey to loving their gay son.

The interview was pegged to Believing in Magic: My Story of Love, Overcoming Adversity, and Keeping the Faith, Cookie’s new memoir, which detailed their 25-year marriage. While the interview is largely focused on the aftermath of the former NBA star’s historic announcement of his HIV status 20 years ago, the pair also discussed coming to accept their gay son, EJ’s sexuality.

Robin Roberts says in the above interview that Magic had a tough time with EJ’s coming out, initially not accepting his sexuality but later apologizing.

“I had to come to realize that he is who he is and he’s going to be happy,” Magic said to Roberts. “I knew he was looking for me to accept who he was and I had to get out of my own way and out of my macho [mentality].”

Cookie elaborated on Magic’s thoughts, saying she had to work through her religious beliefs.

“We know that religion says no, and I did have a big problem with that,” Cookie explained. “Ultimately, I just prayed to God and said God, ‘You reveal to me how you feel about this,’ and he was like ‘Love. Love your child.’ And that’s what I ― that’s what Jesus was about: love.”

Watch the interview for yourself above and head here for more information on Cookie’s memoir Believing in Magic: My Story of Love, Overcoming Adversity, and Keeping the Faith.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

RuPAUL JUST MADE HISTORY WITH HIS FIRST EMMY WIN

Watch out Hollywood ― RuPaul just permanently cemented his legacy with a groundbreaking Emmy win for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program.

The win is historic for a number of reasons ― the least of which being that “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a reality competition for drag queens. “Drag Race” airs on Logo TV ― an LGBT television network not included in the traditional cable package ― and to have a queer television show and network take home an Emmy win like this is a major victory for queer visibility on a mainstream level. 

“I think about all the kids who watch this show all over the world who finally have an emotional navigation system,” RuPauls told Entertainment Tonight in the above clip. “This show and the 100s of girls who have come through our show have told their stories so graciously and have really helped young people around the world navigate their lives.”

We’re so proud of you, RuPaul ― and we can’t wait to see what else your magic brings to Hollywood!

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

SIA'S EMOTIONAL 'THE GREATEST' VIDEO IS A TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS OF ORLANDO SHOOTING

Holding space is not an art that we can suddenly master by just reading, nor can it be completely summarized by any list. It’s a uniquely idiosyncratic experience depending on the people, place, and circumstance, with endless subtleties, techniques, and levels which evolve the more we practice it. And the more we practice it with others, the more we can give it to ourselves, heal, and grow even faster, together.

On Tuesday, Sia released the video for her new single, “The Greatest,” which features Kendrick Lamar (though his verse isn’t in the video version). According to various outlets, the video honors the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting which occurred this past June in Orlando, Florida. 

Directed by Sia and Daniel Askill and choreographed by Ryan Heffington, the video stars Maddie Ziegler, the young dancer who also brought Sia’s visions to life in videos for “Chandelier,” “Elastic Heart,” “Cheap Thrills” and “Big Girls Cry.”

The clip starts on a black screen with the words #WEAREYOURCHILDREN printed across. Then, we see a crying Ziegler wiping paint under her eyes, as if crying rainbow tears, or perhaps applying warpaint for battle. A large group of kids lies on the ground below her, motionless, and she begins screaming (though we don’t hear her), urging the kids to get up. 

Once the music starts, the group begins moving in unison, with Maddie leading the charge. Attitude reports that the children represent the victims killed in the deadliest mass shooting in America’s history ― “49 dancers for 49 lives lost,” as the magazine put it. With lyrics like, “Don’t give up, I won’t give up / Don’t give up, no no no” and “Running out of breath but I / oh I I got stamina,” it’s hard not to draw those parallels. 

The kids dance through an old house, eventually coming together as one group. They jump up and down, moving together as a single entity (much like individuals would at a club as music blares through the speakers) before collapsing to the ground, leaving behind the haunting visual of bodies on the floor. 

Dedicating the video wouldn’t be an unusual thing for Sia to do. Following the tragic shooting, the singer dedicated a performance of her song “Titanium” to the LGBTQ community. As she sang lyrics like, “You shoot me down, but I won’t fall, I am titanium,” she was overcome with emotion and struggled to get through it. The result was one of the most emotional performances we’ve seen from the singer. 

Sia has yet to comment on the meaning behind “The Greatest” video. We have reached out to a representative for the singer for comment.

She did, however, retweet Vulture’s story, which called the video a “haunting tribute to Orlando.” 

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

ORLANDO HOSPITALS ANNOUNCE THEY WON'T CHARGE PULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE VICTIMS

Two hospitals in the Orlando, Florida, area who treated victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre announced Wednesday that they would not bill victims of the mass shooting for the medical expenses incurred following the attack.

A total of 49 people, most of them queer people of color, died and an another 53 were injured when Omar Mateen opened fire on June 12 in the worst mass shooting in American history. Orlando Health, parent corporation of one of the hospitals in question ― Orlando Regional Medical Center ― said in a statement to ABC on Wednesday, “Orlando Health has not sent any hospital or medical bills directly to Pulse patients and we don’t intend to pursue reimbursement of medical costs from them.”

According to Orlando Sentinel, the medical costs being forgiven by the health care network total an estimated $5.5 million.

“The pulse shooting was a horrendous tragedy for the victims, their families and our entire community,” Orlando Health President and CEO David Strong stated. “During this very trying time, many organizations, individuals and charities have reached out to Orlando Health to show their support. This is simply our way of paying that kindness forward.”

Florida Hospital reportedly stated that it will not seek any compensation for medical expenses occurred from the victims, while Orlando Regional Medical Center, which treated 44 of the victims, will turn to state and federal funds for reimbursement.

Orlando Health reportedly said the network is, “exploring numerous options to help the victims of the Pulse nightclub tragedy address immediate and ongoing medical costs. These include state and federal funds, private insurance, victim funds like the One Orlando fund, disability insurance, Florida’s crime victim compensation program, funding sources established for individual victims, means-tested programs like Medicaid, as well as charity care provided by Orlando Health.”

The medical expense forgiveness displayed by Orlando Health is just one of many incredible displays of solidarity and support for the LGBT community of Orlando, Florida in the months since the attack on Pulse nightclub. onePULSE Foundation, a non-profit founded in wake of the tragedy, plans to turn the nightclub itself into a memorial site, having held a star-studded fundraiser in Hollywood last Friday. 

Want more information on how to help the friends and families of victims of the Pulse massacre? Head here.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified Orlando Health as the parent corporation of Florida Hospital. This has been corrected.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

MAN WHO BURNED GAY COUPLE WITH BOILING WATER GETS 40 YEARS IN PRISON

A Georgia man who doused a gay couple with boiling water in their sleep has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. 

On Wednesday, Martin Blackwell was found guilty of eight counts of aggravated battery and two counts of aggravated assault in the Feb. 12 attack on Anthony Gooden, Jr. and Marquez Tolbert, the Associated Press reports. Both Tolbert, 21, and Gooden, 23, suffered second and third-degree burns as a result of the attack. 

Blackwell, 48, had been dating Gooden’s mother, Kim Foster, at the time of the incident. At the time of his arrest, he claimed that Tolbert and Gooden had been having sex at Foster’s home when he walked in. 

He also reportedly told the couple, “Get out of my house with all that gay” after he scalded them with the hot water. 

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Blackwell showed no emotion as the verdict was read. While he declined to testify during the trial, his attorney had asked the jury to interpret her client’s actions as reckless conduct. 

“It’s one act,” attorney Monique Walker told jurors. “It caused injury. It was distasteful, it was disrespectful. But it was not deadly. It was not intentional.”

But jurors ultimately dismissed those arguments in their verdict. Noting that it “takes a long time” for water to boil, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Henry Newkirk said it was clear that Blackwell had acted maliciously. 

“You had so many outs where the voice of reason could have taken over,” Newkirk told Blackwell at the time of the sentencing. 

Blackwell was not charged with a hate crime at the state level, because Georgia does not have such legislation in place. Still, an FBI spokesman said investigators are considering charging Blackwell with a federal hate crime, Reuters reported. 

Here’s to hoping this news will come as some consolation to Gooden and Tolbert as they continue to heal. 

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

DERRICK GORDON: I DIDN'T GET A FAIR SHOT @ THE NBA BECAUSE I'M GAY

The professional sports world is still a tough place to make it if you’re a queer man, at least according to Derrick Gordon. 

Gordon, who broke boundaries in 2014 as the first openly gay player in the NCAA, told Asbury Park Press, “I didn’t get a fair shot to show what I could do” in the NBA, claiming that “it was without a doubt because of the fact that I’m gay.” He also revealed that he hadn’t received a single tryout with an NBA team. 

“Nobody was calling,” he said. “Even after I went to the (Las Vegas) combine in July, I still didn’t get any feedback.”

Gordon, who transferred to Seton Hall, became the first openly gay player toparticipate in the NCAA’S March Madness. He told the paper that will now pursue a career as a San Francisco firefighter.

Gordon previously spoke out about the way that his sexuality has affected his career, saying that he encountered “blatant homophobia” in his attempt to transfer schools.

Homophobia continues to be a major issue in the sports world at large and while some progress has been made on some levels, the search for an openly gay sports superstar continues.

Jason Collins became the NBA’s first openly gay player ― and the first openly gay male athlete in any of the four major professional sports ― when he came out of the closet in 2013, but he retired from basketball just 19 months later.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

GAY BOXER WILL HONOR ORLANDO VICTIMS WITH UPCOMING FIGHT

The country’s first openly gay boxer will take to the ring to honor the memory of those killed in the June 12 mass shooting in Orlando, Florida. 

Orlando Cruz, who came out in 2012, will face off against Alejandro “Alex’’ Valdez, three days after the one-month anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting that left 49 people dead and 53 more injured, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The July 15 fight will take place in Kissimmee, Florida, roughly 30 minutes from the nightclub. 

The boxer, 35, will be a part of a 49-bell salute to each of the Pulse victims, and is set to wear a pair of specially-designed trunks as a tribute. “It is a surprise,” he said of the design in a July 9 interview with the Sentinel. 

Cruz, who lives in Puerto Rico with his husband, told BuzzFeed that he was close friends with Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, one of the Pulse shooting victims. 

“It really affected me and made me angry to see that among so many dead was my close friend,” he told BuzzFeed. “Gay people have rights just like everybody else and everyone needs to realize that we deserve to live openly and happy.”

On Tuesday, Cruz visited the memorial that has been erected outside of Pulse. Photos of the boxer kneeling beside the makeshift shrine were posted on Twitter. 

After his visit to Pulse on Tuesday, Cruz announced that he was helping to launch a Latino voting awareness campaign in Florida, according to BuzzFeed. 

The boxer has said he felt both sad and angry in the days after the shooting. 

“I am very angry because people are homophobic, so they attacked my community,” he told the Sentinel. “They attacked me.”

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

WITH 'COLOR,' TODRICK HALL GIVES US THE SONG WE NEED THIS SUMMER

Singer-songwriter Todrick Hall is back with a charming new love song, and its all-inclusive message couldn’t feel more pertinent in the wake of recent tragedies. 

The stunning video for “Color” depicts a biracial, same-sex relationship, showing Hall canoodling amidst flowers and waterfalls with “Quantico” and Broadway actor Jay Armstrong Johnson, who also lends his vocals to the track. 

“Maybe the world will never understand our kinda love,” Hall sings. “I’d like to be the kinda man you’d like to love/We’ve got a right to love.” 

“Color” is a cut from “Straight Outta Oz,” Hall’s 17-song, Beyoncé-style “visual album,” which was released June 23. The video itself features a subtle nod to “The Wizard of Oz” in that it gradually shifts from black and white to color as the music swells, much like the classic 1939 film. 

“I wanted to create something to make people think about life and look at life through a different set of glasses ― some that aren’t so rose-colored,” Hall told Out magazine July 7. Like Dorothy Gale in “The Wizard of Oz,” the YouTube sensationsaid, “I always wanted to find a place that was more colorful, more accepting.”

In addition to Johnson, “Straight Outta Oz” features appearances by “Glee” starAmber Riley, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” champion Bob the Drag Queen, “American Idol” veteran Jordin Sparks and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, among others. The visual album itself has over 1.3 million YouTube views. 

Bravo, Hall, for giving us a shot of optimism when we really needed it. 

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

EVERY SINGLE NBA TEAM NOW HAS AN LGBT PRIDE SHIRT

The NBA has done something that the sports world has never seen before. In partnership with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the league has introduced a new line of apparel that features all 30 team logos in rainbow colors to celebrate the newly designated LGBT Pride Month in June. The shirts are being sold exclusively on Teespring, and all proceeds go to GLSEN. 

It is the first time a men’s professional sports league has released official apparel in support of LGBT pride, according to SB Nation’s Outsports.

“Professional sports showing up for LGBT people is one of the biggest cultural developments of the last decade, and really the last five years,” GLSEN executive director Eliza Byard told Outsports Tuesday. “Having this be a league-wide initiative, knowing any LGBT fan in the country can choose to celebrate their team and themselves with one of those shirts, that’s a whole new thing.” 

While this is the first time a men’s professional sports league has unveiled pride T-shirts for every single team, it is not the first time an individual team has done so. Both the MLB and NHL previously released official rainbow gear in support of LGBT pride for a handful of teams in their respective leagues, which can be purchased from the clothing brand ‘47. 

‘47 started selling pride products in 2014, a company spokesperson said, adding that the brand also planned to expand distribution to other retailers. 

Until then, the NBA will stand above all other men’s professional sports leagues with the greatest level of LGBT inclusion.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES 

WE'VE FALLEN FOR GOLDFISH CRACKERS' PRIDE LOGO HOOK, LINE & SINKER

Goldfish crackers are getting a spirited, all-inclusive makeover just in time for LGBT Pride month. 

The iconic Pepperidge Farm brand unveiled a revamped logo, featuring multicolored fish in a nod to the rainbow flag, in a June 2 Adweek article. The new logo, which will appear on select Goldfish Colors variety packages in stores across the country, includes the tagline: “Smiles For All Families.”

Goldfish’s support for the LGBT community extends beyond packaging. The brand will also sponsor Pride parades in five U.S. cities — New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Norwalk, Connecticut — along with movie nights and other activities in each location. Meanwhile, officials are also launching a social media effort, asking consumers to share images of their families on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #ForAllFamilies. 

In an email, Pepperidge Farm Chief Marketing Officer Chris Foley told The Huffington Post that the move was more than just a business decision. He also hopes the message of Goldfish’s new effort resounds beyond the last Sunday in June. 

“For nearly 20 years, Goldfish has been ‘the snack that smiles back,’ and in 2016 and moving forward, we want to underscore that Goldfish brings smiles to all families,” he said.

Foley also noted that the effort was “at the heart of who we are,” and, in fact, Pepperidge Farm and its parent company, Campbell’s Soup, have been outspoken supporters of the LGBT community for some time. Last year, Campbell’s put the spotlight on two gay dads and their 3-year-old son, along with many other families, in their “Made for Real, Real Life” ad campaign.  

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

4 SIMPLE REASONS YOU ARE AN UNHAPPY GAY

Why are gay men so unhappy?

While this complex question cannot be answered in one blog post, I believe there are four simple, correctable, things that are preventing us (yes, myself included) from living happier lives.

1. We put so much pressure on ourselves.

Although it’s not just gay men in this pressure cooker of life, to mask the shame society told us we must feel, we gay men have a tendency to turn our own pressure cookers on high. Dr. Alan Downs discusses this in his amazing book “The Velvet Rage“ in which he describes the gay man’s attempt to neutralize shame by being the most successful, outrageous, fabulous, beautiful and masculine. Sound familiar?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with setting goals for yourself, being driven to succeed or wanting to be in shape. I spend a lot of time at the gym, too, but that’s because Planet Fitness has bagels, pizza and Tootsie Rolls. My advice? Make sure you’re going at your own speed and doing it for yourself — not to earn the validation or appreciation of others.

2. We’re in the wrong squad.

Is it me, or did some gay men watch Mean Girls and take it a little too seriously? 

If the people around you are mean and miserable and make you feel like crap, it’s time to recast. Surround yourself with inspiring, upbeat people who bring sunshine into your life and feed your soul. Also, recognize who your “friends” are and what role they play in your life. Know who your going-out friends are and who your I’m-going-through-a-hard-time-and-need-someone-to-talk-to friends are.

3. We are afraid of love.

Ask yourself this and answer honestly — do you have love in your life? Most of us have functioned without it for most of our lives. We didn’t get it from our families. Our friends are fun to go out with, but we don’t feel connected to them. All of our romantic relationships ended before we even thought about uttering the words (or we were so afraid of letting him in, we sabotaged it.) Whatever your reason, it’s hard to let others in and it’s hard to accept the love we deserve. The most important thing to know is that you are worthy of love and you have love to give. It’s not sustainable to run on empty forever. If you’re hurting inside, speak to someone and work on letting it go.

Now, when you’re ready, change your Tinder, Grindr and Scruff profiles from “just looking for fun...open to whatever” to “living for love” or some other cheesy pop song lyric.

4. We don’t love ourselves.

Speaking of love and cheesy pop songs, we have got to learn to love ourselves. I mean, how many singers have to sing it and how many times does RuPaul have to say it before we believe it’s true? I first learned to love myself when I heard Christina Aguilera sing “don’t be scared to fly alone...you’ll find your way...” on herStripped album. That’s the power of artists. We don’t know them, but they help us know ourselves. I digress. Anyway, that’s when I decided to stop giving a fuck about what people had to say about me and I started to embrace every part of myself — my sexuality, my skin color, my small arms and my watermelon size head. And when I did that, my self-confidence skyrocketed and that positively impacted every other aspect of my life.

Ok, so the last two might not be that simple to correct, but it’s possible. In the end, “it gets better” because you get better. To get yourself out of your unhappiness rut, ditch the shovel and start building instead. A good place to start is with yourself because only you can create your own happiness.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES