Please give me any feedback thanks ! Hello my name is----. I am a student at Barrie North Collegiate. I am surrounded by friends and family who love me and I love them. I enjoy spending time outside swimming, biking, going to the movies, and spending time on my computer. I am a person like you. I am also a gay teenager. The way I am and the things I do aren’t because I am gay they are because I am----. But because this is a conference about being gay I suppose I should talk about that. I have known I was gay since I was four, I thought about it when I was 12 and told myself the truth when I was 13. I am still understanding it. I have came out to friends, my parents and my siblings but I am far from finished. Although I am out publicly at school I still do not always feel comfortable being myself there. I am a confident person, and am proud of myself for the fact that I can be so confident as a teenager. However being gay is still something I am insecure about. When I wake up in the morning I have to look at my cloths and decide which look, clean, good, or too gay. I am worried that when I walk down the halls of my school my walk may be to “feminine.” I am worried that if I look at the person I care for with too much affection someone might harass us or worse assault us. I do not know how to be gay, and I don’t think I ever will but I do know that I am learning how to handle the problems and cards I am dealt. I knew that one of the biggest issues my parents had when I told them I was gay was that my life will be harder. I didn’t understand that at first but now I am starting to see it. I have noticed that life is hard and being gay doesn’t make it easy but my life was always going to be this way. My life was always going to be this way because I was always gay. My coming out was not the best or the easiest, it was also a bit funny. I was talking with my best friend one night about how I had fallen madly in love with one of my guy friends. He said to me, Well it sounds like your gay. I paused and thought...yea I guess I am. That was how I admitted it. I decided to tell someone else, and then another, and another, and then every one in my Public School knew. Within a day I had been called the worst gay slurs I have ever been called. I couldn’t take it I broke down. I decided to tell a teacher and then I had to tell my parents due to things discussed with the teacher. I told them and they took it bad. They weren’t ready and neither was I. I saw a therapist and although they can be of great help to anyone dealing with coming out, it didn’t help me. After unsuccessful therapy and not being able to talk about it with my family, they went into denial. I told my parents again a few weeks ago. I can now discuss my relationship, my lifestyle, safely and openly with them. I am lucky to have such understanding and loving parents. I have never been the victim of a hate crime, nor do I know anyone who has. Things are very good at my school, I don’t get name called or excluded. I am grateful to be at a great school, and be so accepted. I hope that the inclusion and kindness my school has shown me continues for the rest of the time I am there. Thank you.
