On growing up gay...

I've been thinking a lot about gay pride lately and what it means to be a gay person in today's society. Admittedly, I've found myself somewhat disillusioned with how 'gay life(styles)' are portrayed and the general perception of gay people. Strip away all the percieved "glamour", the vanity, the partying, the overt sexuality and what remains are simply people struggling to make their way in the world no differently from anyone else. As priveledged as we are to live in such a diverse and by-and-large accepting society as we have here in Toronto, there still remains an element of hatred and misunderstanding against us which runs deep.
I'm not sure if it's simply part of my own inherent personality to constantly question existence in a spiritual, human sense or perhaps its just a common trait for all people.The fact remains that my being gay is part and parcel of my entire being. I am lucky to have found wonderful accepting people to surround myself with (gay and straight) but it still saddens me to know that there are many others whose very existence remains a deeper and more difficult struggle for their own survival.
I've recently received the following email from a friend of mine and it served as a poignant reminder of the struggles that we as gay people have to go through to gain acceptance. This is an open letter in support of those who have not found themselves so lucky.
The letter to the editor is preceded by a personal account written by my friend. Do take a few minutes to read it. The link is here:

http://www.arikiart.com/blog/2005/08/abuse-of-gay-children.htm