well, i currently live in an area that’s pretty 50/50. as a political science major i am surrounded by a surprising amount of conservatives in the classroom (why).
growing up, however, my environment was extremely liberal. i went to perhaps the most hippieish highschool in the world. honestly. we got to paint our own walls (my group’s spot was against the rainbow wall) and lockers. we were all allowed to express our individuality in whatever way felt right… it was a great place to foster the teenage mind of a budding feminist/theorist/gay unicorn.
when i first started college, i was also in a very liberal place. i was involved in an extremely tight-knit lgbt community and never once had to question my sense of identity. that has definitely helped shaped my confidence/radicalism, i’m sure.
on an aside… my first girlfriend went to a relatively conservative school in a pretty small, conservative town. her mother cried when sarah palin (and oh, yeah, that mccain guy) lost the election. that kind of conservative. actually stopped watching ellen when she got married… ANYWAY. so, she went to a very conservative school and faced very similar worries. she was pretty steadfast in her ways though and came out to her close friends who loved her just the same. that’s just her case, though.
the choice to come out is completely your own. no one else can make it for you — we can only offer advice. i always recommend to young people peeking their head out of the closet door to carefully consider a few points before taking that step.
1. would coming out put your life in danger? that is — are you in the type of school where LGBT kids are harassed/violently bullied?
2. will you still have a place to live? many LGBT youth are kicked out of their homes for even mentioning the POSSIBILITY that they could be gay.
3. do you have a good support group and people you can trust? relying on yourself is all fine and dandy, but if this a big deal to you and the people around you — having support is crucial.
hopefully you don’t have much longer in highschool and can go to a super gay college after graduation! :) good luck! |
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