This article is a conundrum to me. It is equal parts somber and uplifting; the story of a women's feelings of isolation and ultimately, liberation. Lauren Morelli, a writer for the hit Netflix series "Orange is the New Black," explains how working for the show helped her realize the truth about her sexuality and have the courage to come out.
At times it can be a difficult read as Morelli explains the darkest points that followed her realization when she wanted to die because being a lesbian "meant losing the person I loved most in the world, meant coming out to my parents and tearing open the most vulnerable, soft parts of myself and showing them to everyone I knew, I would rather be dead. I was suicidal in a way that I hadn't been since eighth grade, when I took a bunch of Tylenol and went to sleep. The next morning I woke up feeling refreshed from the great sleep and excited that I could tell my friends about how depressed I was."
But one of the most important things Morelli expresses in the piece is how important it was that she was surrounded by acceptance. She describes the community of New York City and specifically the "Orange is the New Black" set "as the world's most supportive environment, surrounded by people in the LGBT community, where being a minority of any sort is joyfully celebrated...Mourning the end of my marriage and the identity that I'd known for my entire life, I hadn't yet stopped to consider that I was now a part of this community."
Morelli's story encourages readers to embrace their own sometimes messy narrative which might never fit the mold they believe they should fill. I think that is a wonderful story and I wish everyone would have such a supportive community in which they would feel safe to be themelves. Four for you Lauren Morelli, you go Lauren Morelli!
Article: http://www.policymic.com/articles/89727/while-writing-for-orange-is-the-new-black-i-realized-i-am-gay
It makes me so happy to read that someone was able to take what is perceived as totally negative and "the end" and translated it into positivity and happiness. Unfortunately, not all people suffering from depression are able to get out of that bottomless pit of despair. The positivity that "Orange Is The New Black" has generated actually gives me hope for the upcoming generation where tolerance is much more widespread. We have people like Laverne Cox serving as a trans WOC leader, teaching kids just like her that it's okay to deviate from the norm and become the person you want to be. We need more stories like this in the news.
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