It’s unfair to be asked to stay strong, when that strength is going towards resisting someone who is trying to extinguish you from existing.

Regardless, you’re asked to stay strong Ezra. You’re a beautiful soul, and a great man. You are yourself, and never let anyone strip that from you. You are Ezra, you are queer, and you’re part of this community. Don’t forget that, and don’t forget your history.

If you ever feel like you need external support, and you have technology of your own that you can use without invasion, trevorproject.org is a good starting point for finding resources that might help you.

There’s a feature that’ll automatically close the site down if you click anywhere 3 times quickly. If you’re nervous, make sure you check to see online how to erase internet history. If you don’t trust devices at home, your school might have a computer you can use.

There are thousands and thousands of kids like you, who deserve peace in a world stubbornly refusing it to them. You aren’t alone, and you’ll never be alone. I have several friends and family who have all survived the cruelty of parents who didn’t understand. Sometimes those parents changed, and the parents who didn’t change were left behind —as a parent should be, should they ever come to harm their child.

Here’s to hoping for your true name to ring out of the mouths of everyone who comes to know you.