Hoo Boy.

Opinionated Katie is back and I'm not sure how well this will end.

I've been getting into Facebook political debates again. Correcting bullshit where I see it, no matter who it's coming from.

So far, I've jumped in on a "Islam is to blame for all acts of terror" debate, a "if guns kill people then cars drive themselves drunk" debate, a "gay people can have something like marriage on a legal level but don't call it marriage because that's Christian" debate, a "how can a former military member be anti-gun?!" debate (which to me is still just ?????????), and now, a "STOP PUSHING AN ANTI-GUN AGENDA AFTER PEOPLE DIED" debate (to which my response is, it's not an agenda, it's people wanting something to actually CHANGE because we're SICK OF THIS HAPPENING HUNDREDS OF TIMES A YEAR).

I've stayed the fuck out of political debates in public forums for YEARS because it's bad for my anxiety. I start imagining the backlash before I've even opened my mouth--started hearing people I love insult me because they think I must be uneducated if I disagree with them, and things like that--and it was so intimidating. Every time I dared to post an opinion that was remotely controversial, I would get shaky and my heart would race and I'd feel sick to my stomach. I've had panic attacks over this.

But after the shooting in Orlando, I have officially hit Fuck It status. I'm too pissed off to let my anxiety get the better of me. I am too fucking sick of peoples' bullshit, too sick of the rhetoric that's allowing shit like this to happen, to keep my mouth shut anymore.

I'm just fucking fed up, and it's bringing out an argumentative, opinionated, ready-to-fight, quick-witted and knowledgeable debating side of me that I haven't seen in years, and I am so glad I am finally able to do this again because I have sorely missed actually standing up for my beliefs, even to family.

I'm just sorry it took 50 people getting killed for me to finally stand the fuck up.

***

I'd really appreciate it if you guys would do me a favor: Share this article on any social media you can.

I mean, read it first to make sure it's something you'd want to share, but the gist of it is that people who are not able to come out--whether from fear, or because they're scared of repercussions, or because they just don't feel like it's right for them--are every bit as part of the LGBT community, every bit as brave, every bit as genuine, every bit as strong, and loved, and valued, and valid, as those who have come out.

It's a message I needed to hear for a long time, and one I still struggle with, so it's very important to me that every person see it who needs that message. If you have any friends who are unable to come out, I want them to see it.

(Just make sure not to tag them if they have people they aren't out to who would see it. I do not want anyone accidentally outed because of this article.)