This will be a very short diary, but I just saw this and had to post it. The video really speaks for itself.
Jacob Rudolph, a high school senior in Parsippany, New Jersey, stood before his school at an assembly recently to receive the Best Actor award. But he surprised his classmates by using the time onstage to announce that he's gay. That alone is worthy of mention--I can't even imagine doing that when I was in high school. But what happened next made the moment even more awesome: he received a standing ovation.
Watch:
For those who can't watch the video, here's the transcript of his remarks:
Sure I've been in a few plays and musicals, but more importantly, I've been acting every single day of my life. You see, I've been acting as someone I'm not. Most of you see me every day. You see me acting the part of 'straight' Jacob, when I am in fact LGBT. Unlike millions of other LGBT teens who have had to act every day to avoid verbal harassment and physical violence, I'm not going to do it anymore. It's time to end the hate in our society and accept the people for who they are regardless of their sex, race, orientation, or whatever else may be holding back love and friendship. So take me leave me or move me out of the way. Because I am what I am, and that's how I'm going to act from now on.
And the crowd went wild.
As if you need any solid evidence that the anti-gay right has completely lost this war...here it is. This is what progress looks like. And it's beautiful.