I grew up around older adults for most of my life, in a very “patriotic” community. In fact, my mom used to be centrist and my dad, right-of-center.

I was a cisgender heterosexual girl. Before I myself came out as pan, I really had the mindset of “LGBTQ+ people don’t deserve representation”. The thing is, I didn’t really care what people did, but I didn’t think it had to be announced everywhere. I didn’t think representation was necessary, and I was kind of ignorant to the injustice LGBTQ+ people face. I thought “Oh, they already have rights, gay marriage has already been legalized, why do they care so much?”

I doubted climate change.

Keep in mind that my grandparents are part-Italian. My grandpa was half-Italian and came from Northern Italy, so I thought just because my grandpa came here legally, all immigrants could afford to do that.

Well, after a while, I started to become friends with other queer and trans people, and it opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. I no longer supported Trump. I started respecting other people more and later found my identity along the way as a genderfluid, left-leaning transmasc person.

I changed quite early in life, thankfully. I changed at age 13, which is better than being like 73, but at least it’s a change either way.

I thought being patriotic didn’t mean to make America actually better for people, but to just defend everything it did and everything Trump did. I even wore MAGA merch, and I realize how stupid that was now, LMAO.

  • IninewCrow@lemmy.caEnglish
    15·
    15 days ago

    It’s called empathy … the ability to see and understand the world through the perspective of someone else or another group of people.

    It doesn’t mean you are necessarily sensitive or emotional … it just means you have an ability to see the world through the eyes of someone else. Once you do that, you begin to understand why people are the way they are and why things are the way they are. You begin to understand that the world is full of complex problems full of complex people and nothing is ever simple and straight forward. You begin to realize that the best way to deal with the world is through mutual understanding, communication, awareness, constant connection and a neverending need to want to learn more.

    It’s always nice to see another young person like you make that change. It’s a sign of hope that the world in the future can change for the better.