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Its not easy to be Gay growing up Several Years reluctant to tell anyone. I felt like
I was the only person in the world who had these feelings. I remember growing up sort
of coming to terms with being gay. The word Gay was that insult that people used in school.
You know that's so Gay, you're so Gay... and thinking at the time it was sort of an isolating
experience. I remember thinking oh I'm so cool I don't like any of the boys.. then getting
later in middle school and thinking wait a second why don't I like any of the boys this
is weird. And people were increasingly thinking it was weird. And i was called a *** doe
and that wasn't a lot of fun but you know the whole thing with this video.. It gets
better! It wasn't until i went into college and came out there because there were so many
other LGBT people there who were out. That I really started to feel more comfortable
and could identify myself as gay. You realize that you are in fact you're not alone, there
are many people just like you out there in the world. And people who will love and support
you for who you are. Anywhere I go there's the *** community or an LGBT community and
so when i move to a new city Ive instantly had a community of people I can plug into
who had different experience from me but some of the same experiences. Even a lot of the
people now you think will never accept you for who you are are going to be people who
very often will accept you the people in your family people who are our friends... people
who are the closest to you are going to be part of your life and be supportive of you.
Things are definitely getting better. things have gotten better for me.. I have great friends
in DC both gay and straight. I think I've moved into a place in my life now where I
don't its great to have my *** friends and party with them and hang with them and i love
them and they are wonderful people but I also feel like I got through my life just being
me. Even if you're feeling very isolated or even if you have been yourself a victim of
anti gay violence or threats or even if you just feel alone.. its important to realize
how the world of things are changing really really fast and I think that we and our family
are a testament to that. I see every day how this country is moving towards greater accepts
of LGBT people.. whether that is repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell which a large majority
of people now support.. or whether its even working towards recognition of gay and lesbian
relationships and marriage. Well we are happy parents.. umm ... we adopted two children
and we adopted them at birth and so this is our son Isaiah and our daughter Grace and
son is eight and our daughter just turned three. And we've had both of them since they
were born. And they have the same birth mother who we go to see often.. we did whats called
an open adoption and we are just a really busy happy family of four. I you know gradually
came to terms with who I was and came to really except myself. Even if today is not a great
day for you its important to remember that things will get better in life. life will
get better. Don't let anybody get you down and stand up and be prod of who you are. Ive
gone in twenty years from someone who is deeply in the closet to someone who is married we
got married din Canada and now has a family and we want you to be able to have the same.
A part of me is gay or all of me is gay but that's not the first thing that comes out
when I meet people I'm just able to be myself and that's something really wonderful so yeah..
It gets better. Featuring Allie Bohm, Ian Thompson, Chris Anders, Aaron Schuham to learn
more www.aclu.org/safeschools