Come out, come out, wherever you are

ThePhoenix.com – By Sara Faith Alterman

GLBT students get by with a little help from EAGLE, BGLTSA, BAGELS, GAMIT, QWILLTS, GABLES, and NUBiLAGA

When you’re a teenager, it’s difficult enough to figure out who you are and what the hell you’re all about without other people judging, mocking, and hating you. I remember being teased every single day in high school by this one kid (Dan, who-shall-remain-last-nameless-but-was-totally-Asian) because I was quiet and awkward and had a penchant for flowing Ren Faire–style dresses. (Shut up.) To me, that seemed intolerable — enough so that I begged my mother to allow me to stay home from school day after day.

I can’t even imagine what it must be like for teenagers who are gay or transgender. What if I’d been a guy in a Ren Faire dress?