An advocate from Montana, Bentley Burdick is a 2015 True Fellow, a writer, and an advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community and homeless youth population.
His blog, ‘Caught Under Glass,’ is his community project for the fellowship. Through it, Ben is challenging notions of what it means to be young, rural, and LGBTQ in the 21st century. He hopes to create a space online for young people to share and grow, and build up his own life and dreams in the process.
The following is a taste of what to expect! You can read the blog post (and others like it) at caughtunderglass.com!
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Writing that Captivates
by Bentley Burdick
There are things that I’ve only let myself want the past few months. Before then I refused to admit that I wanted anything for my future or just for myself, especially with my guilt in relation to coming out and being so horribly (but necessarily) selfish. One of those things is right in front of you, what you’re reading and looking at now–this blog is one of my most carefully secured dreams, tucked deep in my heart. So deep that I didn’t even know that I wasn’t acknowledging it, a master at lying to everyone but especially myself. It’s a vital skill sometimes. Even more important to someone on the streets or that has to lie about being happy, being okay (fake it until you make it, right?). Thanks to the True Colors Fund and their fellowship, I now have the chance to pursue a dream that whenever I woke up from it, I made myself forget that it existed in the first place. Wanting to be a writer…terrifies me.
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Read the full thing over at Caught Under Glass!