Today is the first ever National Gay Straight Alliance Day.

via The Trevor Project

So who cares, right? What does that mean for me? I’m straight. I have gay friends, but in general the suburban Connecticut mom gig is a pretty straight world. It would be easy to say “not really my problem” and just go about my day. But 20 years from now, when we are on the other side of this, I want to be one of the people who spoke up for change. I don’t want to pretend it’s someone else’s problem–because it’s not.

I want there to be a day when we don’t have to have a Gay Straight Alliance Day–because that’s every day.

I want there to be a day when a same-sex couple getting married on television isn’t considered “pushing the envelope.”

I want there to be a day where the kids doing the bullying are in the minority.

I want there to be a day when we don’t have to tell kids “it gets better” because it already is so much better.

But it won’t happen over night. Changes need to be made.

It starts with speaking up when someone tells a bigoted joke.

When stop referring to things or people as being “so gay.”

It starts with how you vote.

It starts when own your part in this civil rights movement.

It starts when you stop thinking on terms of “us” and “them.” (It’s all us. There’s no “them.”)

It starts with telling the people in your life that you love them for who they are.

It starts with looking in the mirror and saying it to yourself.

It starts with you speaking up about this–because straight or not–this is your problem.

This is my problem.

Hate is everyone’s problem.