While easy on the eyes, it holds devastating power. Green is the colour of nature and righting wrongs - but with such power, comes a cost.

Often associated with greed and all things unholy - it deceives the eye, tricking even the most immovable beings alive. It changes a person so quickly in a blink of an eye. But green is only a representation of human choices - one can choose to live bitterly, and drown themselves with flames of jealousy; they can choose to suffocate in their limited world, refusing to breathe; they can disguise their hatred behind ambiguous eyes, and cover their ears to words of truth.

It is the colour coated with Death’s poison, the colour that acts as a defence and ‘protection’ from ‘the unnatural beings’. It is, unfortunately, a dangerously mesmerising trap equipped with the most influential weapons known to humankind - words. “One drop of venom into a cup of pure water taints its purity.” They say, and yet, they do not hesitate before killing and destroying another from the inside, forcing poisoned water down confused and frightened throats that fear for their very lives if their secret were to arise.

“A child needs both a mother and a father" they say, yet many choose to become neither when their own flesh and blood chooses to embrace their true self. Instead of rising up to become the pillar to lean on, many tell their sons to ‘man up’ and their daughters ‘you don’t know if you’ve never tried'. Others resort to religious rhetorics to justify their reactions, before casting them aside and choosing to forget them.

In times of need, where is both the mother and father that were said to be so important? Where has the compassion displayed before they break out of their shells gone to? Where will they go now that they’ve been rejected by their own parents?

This neglect and rejection have caused young LGBT individuals to become homeless and mentally unstable. Many LGBT individuals who have experienced homelessness due to various reasons are 62% more likely to have suicidal thoughts, attempts or even successes to end their life. Due to having no place to go or no one to turn to, being left on the streets makes them 7.4 times more likely to experience sexual violence.

(Stafford, Zach. “Too Many LGBT Kids Are Still Homeless. And We Still Throw Money at Marriage? | Zach Stafford.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 7 Sept. 2014)

Although these seem to be nothing but numbers on a screen, they are the scars of humanity. We must not sit by while the young are left on the streets, lost with nowhere to go, uncared for and abandoned in despair.

Green can be a representation of peace and acceptance, wouldn't that be better than ignorant intolerance?