First of all, I have a confession to make... I am a closet heavy metal music fan...
Why do I mention it? Because that is an issue that should be of equal importance in society to other individuals being gay, lesbian or any other categorization.
My music is quite annoying to many, and even more people can't understand how I could make such a choice in life.
But the bottom line is, I did make such a choice, and I'm not ashamed of it. Neither should you be of your choices in life.

Also, I am an American living in Japan. Every day that I go to work, I see people looking at me that think I'm "different".
At first, this bothered me, but after a while, I learned to realize that different can mean something unwanted or it can mean something unique and precious,
depending on the eye of the beholder. The main point being that everyone is "different" depending on their environment.
If your environment is not working out for you, change your environment, either by moving elsewhere or finding support in your home town to
make things better. But ending your own life is never a good option (or even an option) Every one of us will be special to someone given time.
So give it time. And be brave.

You may be young, you may not be so young. But you are you. Do not be afraid to be who you are. It may be a bit of a change at first, especially for family, but once the world knows who you are, you're going to find that the people who really care about you, like your family and your true friends--the ones you can count on, no matter what--are going to love you for you. For those people, It's the person that you are that counts, not the gender of the person next to you.

Once you realize that, you'll see that by being proud of who you are and by not having to hide how you feel, an enormous weight will be lifted off your shoulders, doors will seem to open, you'll let out a deep breath and a completely new chapter in the book of your life will begin.

And keep reading, my friend. If you think this chapter's good, just wait. It gets better.

I grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho...a town of maybe 55,000 people. A town where religion plays a role in almost everyone's life. (mainly L.D.S. or Mormon) I am L.D.S as well. Bullying happens a lot when it comes to people who are different, especially around smaller towns. I recall friends in High School who were gay, and the relentless torment that they endured....times change...views change....be proud of who you are...though i imagine it is hard, try not to worry about what others think!!! I look at the friends I have now, and what they have become only a few years later...It will get better.

Yes and no.
As a gay man, things have definitely improved. However, to be honest, be prepared for hidden bigotry and outright harassment.
The main thing is you'll develop your true family and rely on them for support and love.
Just a few months ago my car was vandalized simply because I'm gay. The car had no stickers on it. When I was younger I would have had more problems dealing with this, but now that I have a network, things are better. Friends, straight and gay, watch my back. While the incident was disturbing, I now know that there are a lot of people repulsed by what has happened. Society is slowly accepting the fact that being gay is no more a choice than how tall you are. When someone ask when was it I made the decision to be gay, I reply it was about the same time they decided to be right or left handed.
Don't let religious extremist fire you up; ignorance is the base of most bigotry. If everyone would be a good person, true to themselves, then people would see that it doesn't matter if you're straight or gay.
There are plenty of blogs, resources, to help you. Look within your community. If things are difficult, reach out and ask for help: it is there.

There is absolutely no doubt that it gets better. There are several reasons why. First of all, our society is moving to do everything it can to allow gays and lesbians the freedoms they deserve. Yes, we still have many closed-minded folks who want to treat LGBT’s with Old Testament theology. Christians certainly have every right to express their point of view, but not limit the freedoms of others. Remember, those same right-wing nut jobs would not allow a black man to date a white woman. A black man could get killed in the south if he even so much as was accused of whistling at a white girl. That is now no longer possible. And yes, it gets better because those immature folks who treat you badly do grow up. Eventually. Unless they are Jesse Helms and Jerry Falwell. But look, both of them are gone and we are still here, fighting on for equality for all. It will happen in our lifetime. We now have an African-American in the White House. Equal rights cannot be far behind! Hang in there! Speak up and write about your experience and move the fight ahead.

I have two young children, and every time they come home and tell me someone has not been decent to them, I tell them, "You don't need them in your life". This is how I feel about life. If someone is not going to be kind to you, get them out of your life. If this is impossible, seek a person that can and will help. And don't stop looking for that person. We are lucky enough to live in a "gimme" world, where answers can be found to those who continue to search. If you seek a person who does not seem to be helpful, move on to the next person who may be able to help. Let's use high school as an example, since all this noise is based around the high school kids' suicides. The first people you should approach are your parents. This is often difficult for teens because, well, parents are "old" and "uncool". However, your parents may surprise you in their ability to be helpful. If parents are just not working out, go to the school counselor. If that doesn't help, go to the principal, or a family member, or a coach, or a community member. The point is, don't stop trying to seek help for the issue.

You are who you are and no one can, or should, change that. Being happy with who you are is very difficult if you hear constant criticisms or receive hurtful messages. But lucky you, you live in an Internet society, where people and helpful services are a Google search away. There are people out there just like you, who will support you and who believe in you.

Don't give up searching for people who will accept you as you and treat you with the respect you deserve. Seek people who will help you through your situation until you can get to a better place. With a little help, a little searching, and a little support, you can remain true to yourself and maintain the confidence you need to honestly believe that it will get better.

The young don't have enough life experience to know that not only will things get better, life will work out for the best. It always does and it will become wonderful, if you just give it the time too. So many wonders are yours to enjoy if you will just let it happen. Yes, there will be tough moments, and yes there will be set-backs. But with time these will pass and you will find great satisfaction and happiness everyday. Live in the moment, that doesn't mean do stupid things, and enjoy great and small delights and the world will open to you.

Life gets better as you get older because you are able to filter out the awful people that make you ashamed to be who you are.
I'm not gay. I'm married to my husband and I am a mother, and every day I worry for my son's future. I think about how I was tortured in elementary school for being fat. Honestly, those kids picked on me, singled me out, and made me feel ugly. They called me one name in particular, "whale", which was and still is my favorite animal. One day, all the kids decided not to talk to me. The entire grade did this, and I had no idea what I had done wrong. Now, I realize that I am beautiful because I am loved.
I am no longer overweight, but even when I gained 50 lbs and was 160 lbs, super pregnant, and hormonal, I was able to deal with my weight because I knew it was for something good.
As an adult, if someone called me a name or made me feel bad about being who I am, I would cut them out of my life. As a child and young adult, it was almost impossible. You have no control over who is in your class at school or if someone is in your same group (band, church, etc). It's hard when you're younger no matter what makes you different, but believe me, as you get older, you'll realize that you are worth it, and being you is better than they way that everyone else wants you to be.