There have been many progressive steps taken in the U.S. lately, slowly making American citizens feel more comfortable in their own skin while being in this country. However, not everything is seamless and easy. Day in and day out we see so much hardship riddle our friends and family. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
One good thing we have in this day and age is the ability to have people to look up to. With all of the controversial issues being dealt with, there are so many advocates trying to do their part when it comes to sharing support and information.
One of the people doing this daily is YouTuber and author Lucy Sutcliffe, who has spent the last six years using the internet as a medium of sharing her story.
The couple of years leading up to 2012, Sutcliffe gradually came out as gay to her family and friends. She endured dealing with the judgments from her peers and started a YouTube channel with her girlfriend at the time, Kaelyn Petras.
Between 2012 and presently, Sutcliffe has done her fair share of inspiring the LGBTQ+ community, which is shown all over her social media outlets.
The summer of 2016, she released her debut memoir titled “Girl Hearts Girl,” which was published by Scholastic.
“Girl Hearts Girl” follows Sutcliffe through her journey from a child to a grown adult. She explains the years that went by as she figured out how she felt.
A prominent storyline in the book is how Sutcliffe and Petras handled a long distance relationship, as well as how reassuring it is to have someone on your side you can count on.
In addition to highlighting coming out to herself, Sutcliffe gave the timeline of how she broke her news to those closest to her.
Sutcliffe explains the feelings of worry and anxiety that she felt when she came out to her friends at a New Year’s Eve, and how she came out to her parents via email while away at university. By writing about these experiences, Sutcliffe shows that there are more ways than one to come out to the people closest to you.
Another thing that Sutcliffe makes a point of is that not all people handle the news respectfully. Sutcliffe explains one encounter she had with a friend at university, who had varying reactions to conversations they would have related to Sutcliffe’s sexuality.
“By coming out, we are saying that we’re ready to face any negative consequences that come our way. It’s an act of defiance, and an act of pride, and it’s something that should be applauded, not silenced,” Sutcliffe said.
Sutcliffe does a good job of showing her story in an honest and authentic way to her fans and readers.
With “Girl Hearts Girl” and her YouTube channel with Petras, which reaches over 25 million people worldwide, Sutcliffe’s life has impacted many people.
Sutcliffe ends her book by pointing out that life can be difficult, but one can get through it, saying “I’m reminded of how much I am loved, how much I love, and how important love is, because it really does make the world go round.”