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 Homophobia and How I've Dealt With It
Indirectly, I have experienced homophobia every day of my life. I've known that I am gay for as long as I can remember. This included the knowledge that I was a homosexual in one of the most homophobic schools there is! I attended private boys schools until college. No one at my school was "out", so there wasn't an issue of direct negative reactions to a gay guy:but that didn't stop them from commenting; from calling names; from the verbal abuse that I secretly knew was directed at me. Gee, why didn't anyone ever come out?
Of course, that was hard on my self-confidence; especially during the first few years. It was awkward not having another gay guy to talk to, to ask questions, to share experiences with. It made me start to wonder if the other guys were right. If I was "disgusting" if I was "unnatural" but in the end, of course, I made a command decision: I will not feel bad because ignorant, narrow, nazi-minded have problems with accepting others. And I knew I was right! Throughout school, I didn't let anyone know I was gay, but I still believed in myself.
Now, I've kept my positive attitude and my pride in myself. I am comfortable with being gay and I strongly urge anyone who feels like I did to find someone who is gay/bi/lesbian and talk to them. Don't accept the opinions of only those people who are immediately around you. It's too small a circle! There's a whole wide world out there of people who want to love you and support you for who you are!
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