Hundreds of roses, chocolate, and teddy bears fill the table. Ribbon, themed bags, and plenty of fun dip overflow the target bags on the floor.  Slips with messages are outfitted with romantic phrases, pick up lines, and inside jokes. Hands grasp at the items sorting them into the bags, laughing together...

When my older brother came out as gay, I was only eight years old, so it was hard to grasp. The only time I had ever heard the word used was when kids in my school used it as an insult. After finding out my brother was gay, it gave me an entirely different outlook on the word. At such a young age,...