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.

The lights are bright and hot. The crowd is swallowed by the darkness that is beyond the stage. Excitement, anxiety and skepticism run through Makenzie Taylor’s mind before she starts her performance that will keep people talking for hours.

Taylor started “doing” drag or being a female impersonator about four years ago after graduating high school.

“I went to my first drag show in September 2007 at Red Light Lounge in Syracuse [New York],” Taylor said. “I had never seen a drag queen before, and my friend, Tim, was a pretty famous drag queen out here. I came back and performed and I had seen some other female impersonators perform also. It was interesting and fun; it takes a lot of balls to do something to do that.”

Taylor explained that she never thought she would continue to do drag, but “once [she] tried it, it stuck with [her].” There is a transformation process from male to female and visa versa that can be exhilarating for performers.

“It’s not just shaving your body and painting your face,” Taylor said. “Your personality changes as well. You have a different persona when you’re in drag. I get more feminine and more aggressive, but not in a negative way.”

It’s because of this transformation and the energy from performing that Taylor loves what she does.

“It’s not about the money, it’s about the reactions from the people,” Taylor said. “I will get compliments from people hours later when we’re at the bar; like that was  fantastic or that was really funny.”

Dressing in drag has been around since the 19th century, and through the 20th century is gradually became more and more popular. This led to the steady decline of closeted gay men because female impersonation made them fearless. During the Stonewall Riots, which took place over a few days in 1969, drag queens were very prominent in the modern gay liberation movement; and the events that took place over those few days in Greenwich Village started the Gay Rights Movement.

Today, drag queens are seen as a form of entertainment, just like going to a concert, but more interactive. They can pull you on stage or dance with you.The more interactive the audience the more fun it is for the entertainer.

Drag queens and kings have evolved in meaning and in what they represent. They are icons and role models for today’s LGBT youth. They allow others to feel liberated by knowing that it is okay to be out about being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Taylor believes that young adults should give drag a try. “I tried it, thought to myself it will be one time,” Taylor said. “But then performing was amazing. The feeling of expressing yourself and not caring what people think of you helped me be more openly gay and realize who I was as a person and a performer. Its not easy, but an adventure. Coming from someone who was made fun of in school, it gave me strength. [You shouldn't ] be afraid to express yourself, and dont change who you are to fit in.”

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.

Are you out with your family? Yes? No? It’s okay if you aren’t and it’s great if you are. Are you out with your doctor(s)? Yes? No? You should be. Doctors have doctor/patient confidentiality and most of the time they can’t tell anyone, unless you give them permission to, about your medical happenings. If you’re out to your doctor, you would be helping them and yourself. If you’re out, you can be treated with the most care and the most accuracy possible. Are you out to your doctor? Yes? No? Consider it if you aren’t.

Recently, I was in the emergency room for abdominal pain. After ruling out appendicitis, they found a cyst on my Fallopian tube. In the ER, the OB/GYN asked if I was sexually active. I said yes… well, kind of.

Now, if I wasn’t up front and honest about my sexuality, the doctors wouldn’t be able to evaluate me in the right context and give me the correct care I would need. When I was asked if I was sexually active and gave the doctor the answer mentioned above, my mom told me to be honest and more specific. I thought, alright, it’s probably for the best. I then admitted to the doctor that I was bisexual and I was sexually active with a female, who was my girlfriend.

As a part of the LGBT community, of course I was nervous about being judged by my doctor. I don’t know anyone who is not afraid of being judged by anyone. When I told the OB/GYN about my sexuality, she didn’t judge. I felt very comfortable around her. Being comfortable is important to me when I’m dealing with a doctor.

After figuring out that the cyst was so large, the doctors starting talking about surgery. They knew they had to remove the cyst, but they didn’t know if they could avoid removing the Fallopian tube and ovary. They told me it was possible, but they wouldn’t know for sure until they were in there. Possible removal of some of my reproductive organs made me nervous. Even though I am bisexual and with a female, I plan on having children some day. I did ask if the surgery would affect my fertility and my doctor assured me it would not.

According to the American Cancer Society, lesbians and bisexual women don’t go for routine check ups, compared to other women. The most common cancers among women are breast, colon, ovarian, uterine, and lung cancers. Lesbians and bisexual women also don’t get regular breast exams and cervical cancer screenings. It is very important for every woman to get regular screenings and go to their routine appointments every year because it will help prevent cancer or other diseases, or it will help catch these diseases at an early stage; early stages are more treatable than later stages.

Some of the reasons why lesbians and bisexual women do not go to the doctor regularly are:

1. Fear of discrimination affecting their health care.
2. Fear from previous negative experiences with health care providers reoccurring.
3. They have low rates of health insurance, or no health insurance coverage at all, because of their sexuality.

If you, or someone you know, wants to receive the best health care possible and you think your sexual orientation will get in the way of that, check out the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association‘s website at glma.org. Here you can search for LGBT friendly health care providers, find out how GLMA is contributing to the civil rights movement of the LGBT community, or donate to GLMA’s cause.

9. Hold a movie night with documentaries or films from the LGBT genre.

8. Write a letter to your state senator or local representative telling them why you believe equality for all is important to you and the community you live in.

7. Attend a rally for equality.

6. Represent equality by buying or making a shirt with equality phrases on them.

5. Get involved in awareness events such as Day of Silence, No Name-Calling Week and Coming Out Day.

4. Attend an LGBT conference.

3. Host a fundraiser to raise money for homeless LGBT youth.

2. Help your school, whether it’s grade school or college, develop a safe space.

1. Start a Gay-Straight Alliance at your school, whether it’s middle or high schools or even college. An organization where students who believe in equality can get together and share ideas about making their school a safer place for everyone.

According to Senator Mark Leno (D) told NPR’d Robert Siegel that  California’ education code required “that the role and contributions of African, Asian, Mexican, Native, European Americans, women and other traditionally overlooked communities be included in our school curriculum.”

The curriculum will not be designed to “out” historical figures, but about addressing civil rights and making sure information is not censored or overlooked.

Leno cited a case to Siegel that happened in 2008 at E.O. Green School in California when 14-year-old Brandon McInerney shot 15-year-old Lawrence “Larry” Fobes King because he was “too girly”. McInerney was charged with premeditated murder with enhancements of use of a firearm and a hate crime.

By teaching both heterosexual and LGBT students, tolerance and understanding may be new lessons learned in the classroom.

Leno said that education codes require the teaching of Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American man who fought valiantly for everyone’s civil rights and was assassinated for his efforts. Therefore Harvey Milk should be taught because he fought for all civil rights and was also assassinated.

“We’re currently teaching one, we’re censoring the other,” Leno said.

Local districts will be able to decide how the curriculum is implemented, and so far a grade level has not been determined to start the education.

Leno, who wrote the bill, said explained that new textbooks will not be released for the next few years, but the law will go into effect in January.