It breaks my heart that folks condemn unique and different things simply out of fear. There are 7.4 BILLION people on this planet, how absolutely boring would it if we were all the same?! The strength of the human race not only lies in our intelligence and ability to create love, but in our differences. No matter how well you know someone, you will never know their perspective, the depth of their soul. And it is each of our own unique perspectives that adds something special to this world. We advance in science, art, and so much more because of each persons unique perprective and journey through life that had led them to that perspective. Even the people that are consumed by fear have something to give this world: we can see pieces of ourselves in their reflection. If we look deep, we can see where love was consumed and replaced by fear.
Just as much as we are different, we are the same. Every person on this planet knows fear, sadness, grief, shame, love, anger, guilt, and all the other emotions. Denying yourself or another person these feelings is denying your human nature. We are all designed to know these feelings because we are social creatures, and it is our feelings that cause us to work together and grow as a society. These emotions are nothing more than signals, flashing lights, guiding us through life. They always have something to show us, to help us grow.
Many of us have spent our whole lives blocking out these emotions, out of the fear of their power. But the truth is that they don't have any power. You are so much more than your emotions, so much more than this life. If you want to heal and grow you MUST realize that your emotions cannot truly hurt you. They only strive to help you. You must accept the entirety of them, not push them away. Especially the painful ones, they have the most to teach us. The Buddha says that Life is Suffering, and he is right. Suffering is our inner pain, our emotions, and how we allow them to torment us. We only need to recognize this pain within us a tool to reach enlightenment and we will be free of it.