In the USA, today (24 November) is known as thanksgiving. To anyone who is celebrating, I hope you enjoy your day.

I am British, so it’s not an event I celebrate. However, I do think expressing gratitude and the things we are thankful for is a rewarding exercise to do on any day of the year.

Today I am grateful to live in a country where people are free to love who they want to. One love is a term we are hearing a lot about now. I am grateful to live in a country where my rights, as a gay man, are protected by law. We live in an inclusive place where people have more choice to be who they are.

I can choose to live my life, the way I want to, and it is not illegal to do so. It dismays me that this is not a universal human right. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people are repressed and persecuted for being who they are. Recent events have highlighted this again including the position of FIFA and Qatar in the Football world cup and a recent night club shooting in the USA.

I did not choose to be a gay man. It is not a preference. It is simply part of who I am. I was born this way (thanks to Lady Gaga for the saying/lyric). I do not know why I was born this way, but anyway I am a gay man and that is how I am. Its one element of my identity, but it is one that could see me imprisoned or executed simply by entering certain other countries.

Today I share that I am proud and grateful for the rights and freedoms I have in this country. I will not be engaging with the football world cup in anyway. FIFA argues that football is for everyone, whilst banning even a visual representation of the term one love.

I am grateful I get to be myself, amongst many other things I am grateful for in my life. I practice gratitude daily; it comes in many forms and there are a lot of varied things I list.

Go with gratitude.

What are you grateful for today?