“The years I spent hiding who I was were dark, claustrophobic, and crowded. Now that I’m openly gay, I am free.”
If you head over to Instagram’s Explore page today, you’ll find their first ever LGBT-related video feed. The #VisibleMe page features LGBT youth sharing their personal stories, struggles, and advice.
Raymond Braun, the creator of the #VisibleMe project, hopes the hashtag will help LGBT youth safely open up about their own sexuality, body image, coming out stories, and more.
“There is an urgency behind this work because so many kids still feel isolated, lonely, and like they don’t fit in,” Braun told BuzzFeed News. “Helping to create a safe, creative, supportive, expressive place for them to explore their identity and build community can literally mean the difference between a kid growing up with self esteem and a strong sense of self — or not.”
“The years I spent hiding who I was were dark, claustrophobic, and crowded,” Leah Juliet says in her #VisibleMe video. “Now that I’m openly gay I am free.”
“Sometimes I struggle with being trans and also having substance abuse problems,” says Zachary. “There’s a lot of loneliness but the serenity and gratitude that I feel when I get to be myself makes it very worth it.”
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