For a lucky few, the road to self-discovery is short and simple. Their identity is easily negotiated, and their struggle is ended. For most, finding identity is a tumultuous endeavor – navigating through doubt and vulnerability into some understanding of who we are. But for a tormented multitude, discovering identity is a journey filled with hardship.

For many lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people, coming to understand personal identity is a struggle – one made harder by society. Many cannot appreciate the hardships others must endure unless they are forced to experience those hardships firsthand. Most straight people will never know what it means to be ridiculed, ostracized and sometimes physically assaulted because of sexual orientation.

This week, National Transgender Awareness Week, is a time for our community to stop for a moment and consider and appreciate the LGBT people as well as the rest of the community. There seem to be some who feel that tolerance and integration of alternative lifestyles into the American way of life are somehow incompatible with our long-standing ideals and values. This attitude could not be farther from the truth: The ideological foundation of our country rests on the belief that everyone is entitled to live however they choose. When the Puritans came to New England, they sought refuge from a society that was opposed to their very existence. They found a safe haven, a place away from persecution. That was the beginning of a very important American tradition, one rooted in freedom from victimization.

Over time, our commitment to maintaining a diverse tapestry representing American society suffered its share of setbacks. Bigotry, racism, religious intolerance and heterosexism have permeated some elements of our society. Liars and demagogues would have us believe hatred and intolerance are somehow desirable American traits, not simply negative results of the struggle that reveals growth and effects change. Some say the civil rights movement ended in the 1960s, but we would argue that it has not ended at all – it has merely changed. On the national stage, issues such as California’s Proposition 8 have brought alternative lifestyles to the forefront of national attention, forcing all Americans to ask some hard questions. Locally, we have been dealing with the problem of hate crimes against LGBT members of our community. So, this week take the time to gain some perspective. Empathize with the LGBT members of our community. Try to understand how their experience can be full of needless difficultly. Understand, because understanding is the first step toward peace – the lasting, pervasive societal peace and cooperation we should all strive for.