Peeling away the lables that have been written by others

Are we ever accepted?

Are we ever seen past our flaws?

Are we ever seen as more than our gender, sexuality, race, status, background, religion, appearance?

Why is it that people who have a lower IQ are called retarded, but those that are smarter are called stuck up?

Everyday feels like a competition. You are competing socially and academically.

But there are no winners.

We are all just losers.

Because we can't let people define themselves because the definition we put on them is too heavy.

I struggle. A lot.

I have a mental disorder and people call me dumb.

I have a vision impairment and people call me incapable.

I have anxiety and people call me scared.

I take prescribed meds and I'm called a drug user.

Retard, stupid, weird, disgusting

All things I have been called. And it got me thinking.

The bullying you see in high school is not the kind they show in movies.

They don't show a kid showing up to a basketball game in black face.

They don't show a group of kids beating one of their peers because of the color of his skin.

They don't show 10 men flirting with the same girl because she said 'hi' to them.

They don't show those men calling the girl a s**t just because she prefers to be with women.

They don't show students using the wrong pronouns on purpose because the name and gender on their birth certificate is not the same that they use.

None of us our accepted.

If you show up to school dressed in bright colors, you're labled as queer. 

If you are seen by your boyfriend eating lunch with another guy in the cafeteria you're labled as a cheater.

If you don't want to have sex, you're labled as 'there is something wrong with you and you need some serious help because this is not okay.'

But is it ever okay?

We are all trying to show everyone that we can be 'normal.'

That we can be 'like them.'

I have friends who pretend to be straight.

Who respond to the wrong pronouns when they shouldn't have to.

Who say yes to every guy that asks them out because they feel like they have to.

Like it's not their choice.

Because no one wants to find out what would happened if someone just. Said. No.