By Cristina Picozzi, Executive Editor

Taylor Swift is right. People are mean. Words are like knives and swords. They hurt those they cannot understand. There will always be someone who disapproves and someone will always judge a book by its cover. However,  there are times when we can be our own worst enemies.

I am a firm believe that education opens eyes, and the fear of not knowing or understanding is what has always pushed me to learn more.

I have always been open minded, but being in high school in the south is very different than going to college in the north. I had never seen anyone transgendered or dressed in “legit” drag. In fact, I had only had friends that were bisexual in high school. Some of which only acted that way because they thought it was trendy.

Moving to New York was a culture shock and at first I didn’t know what to do when these situations came my way.

By my junior year of college I had been exposed to a lot of things that the south didn’t offer, but there was still a lot that I hadn’t encountered. I don’t necessarily know if it was  fear or just confusion from not understanding, but regardless I pushed myself to become more familiar and understand.

I read about transgendered culture and its history. I learned about kings and queens- the real and the no-so-real. I know the difference between transgendered and a transvestite- and yes, there’s a big difference. My senior year I felt like I was actually getting a grasp on LGBT culture, but there was and still is so much to learn.

My ignorance makes me  feel out of place sometimes. I also find myself still judging those around me because I’m human and we all do it.

The first time I had ever been surrounded by a large number of member of the LGBT community was at CNY PRIDE a few years ago. I couldn’t believe the number of people in Syracuse as well as the crazy costumes and music. It was like being a 12-hour concert. It was completely entertaining; however, I was completely embarrassed and overwhelmed by everything I was experiencing.

I know it’s rude, but it’s partially true; I always thought of other LGBTs as loud and obnoxious. I fight the fight while keeping a low voice, but at PRIDE everyone is yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs. It’s all for a good reason, but I think because I had never been to a PRIDE festival before I was in awe and shock.

I have made myself try to see things from others point of view. Being bisexual I know how I feel about equality and what it was like coming out, as well as what I’ve heard other people say they think about bisexuals. But I’m a bisexual women, not a man. We might face similar hate, but it’s still different. I’m also not a lesbian, so I don’t exactly know how they feel either.

I’ve talked to queens about their experiences with “doing” drag, and how they got their start. I believe it’s important to know about something before I judge it or turn away.Those conversations definitely opened my eyes to realize it’s about having fun, being comfortable with yourself and allowing yourself to let people see the real you.

We’re all just trying to be comfortable with ourselves. Worrying about others, or what others think about us is unnecessary.  Just like Americans learn about American history, I would challenge everyone in the LGBT community to learn something about a part of the LGBT community. Learn about the riots, the origin of our terminology and what is going on today so we can make tomorrow a little better for the next generation. Education is the only way for us to grow as individuals and as a people.

By Cristina Picozzi, Executive Editor

In 2010, there were a lot of suicides that were made public by the media. Some may remember Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old from western Massachusetts, who took her life at the beginning of the year after classmates harassed her. Others may have heard about Alexis Pilkington, a 17-year-old from West Islip, NY who took her life in March after cyberbullies took over social media.

However, those that stand out the most are those that happened between last September and October. At least 10 teenagers and young adults committed suicide, and I’m not saying that these are the most important; they are just the ones that were in the media the most.

According to SAVE.org suicide takes the lives of at least 30,000 people every year. For young adults and teenagers between the ages of 15-24, suicide is the third leading cause of death.

It’s clear that the LGBT community is not the only one affected by suicide, although sometimes it may seem that way. We need to remember that there are a lot of things that affect many different kinds of people. Tragic events don’t discriminate; no one is safe.

September 4-10 is National Suicide Prevention Week. All of these people are important. They all should be remembered. We need to remember the lives that were taken from us too early in hopes that the future may be different.

Hello! We are the editors of Illumination Magazine and our objective is to bring LGBT teenagers a relate-able magazine. Our magazine is mostly geared toward the ‘L’ in LGBT, but that should not prevent anyone from reading or writing us! We want to hear from our readers, followers and friends. We want to be a welcoming place for questions and comments, we will listen to you to be more well-rounded. Our editors come from different backgrounds and this will help incorporate many different ideas and views on various topics from education to politics and even entertainment.

We want to make a difference in a young person’s life because we believe that there was never an outlet for us. The youth are the adults of tomorrow and if they feel that they have no place to go or someone to talk to or even someone who kind of relates to them, then the future is not very bright for generations to come.

We will bring you into the light and show you all the different topics that are being talked about in the LGBT community. It is important to be informed in order to make good decisions for one’s self. We will do our best to serve you; no matter how many times we may stumble along the way.

Sincerely,

Cristina and Elizabeth