Hot topic: When did you come out?
I first came out to myself my sophomore year of high school. I went to a really small, really conservative Catholic school, so being gay was not exactly tolerated. The topic was basically ignored in our religion classes, even though every other socially controversial issue was discussed. I just felt alone, and like no one else could relate. Luckily, I had some amazing friends who stood by me, and made high school bearable. I only completely came out last year.
Chris Gaiser, Sophomore
I was 15 when I met the girl who would soon become my first girlfriend. I lived in small town New Bern, North Carolina- not a very welcoming place for liberals of any type. When we started dating, the entire school knew and because everyone kept hanging it over my head that they would tell my mom, I decided to beat them to the punch. Her initial response was, ‘At least I know you’re not getting pregnant’ and things went relatively downhill from there. In comparision to so many others, I am lucky because I was not disowned, beaten, or severely mistreated, however ‘coming out’ is a difficult process no matter what.
Rose Darpino, First-Year
I came out when I was in the 11th grade mainly because I had already been ‘outed’ by someone that I thought was one of my friends. In the 10th grade I had trusted her with my secret towards the end of the year and then after our Spring Break she came back and told everybody what I had told her. I denied it the rest of that year but still had to live through the constant harrassment that most ‘out’ people sometimes face. At the beginning of my 11th grade year I started going with the first guy I ever went with and he told everybody about us. So after that I just decided everybody knows now so why worry and I came out to friends at school, then my mom, and eventually anybody who asked.
Robie Forbes, First-Year