Saturday, November 26, 2005

Gay student's essay on coming out censored by school

My blog has moved!!! Please visit my new blog for all the newest news, events, opinions and more!!!
You will be automatically re-directed in three seconds. Click the link to go to the new blog now. Use the search function on the new blog to find any story you are looking for on here.

From the Daily Herald (Dupage County, Illinois): Student’s censored essay tells his story Posted Wednesday, November 23, 2005 This essay, called “The Importance of Coming Out,” was submitted by 17-year-old Stephen Delaney to his school newspaper, The Pride, at Wheaton Warrenville South High School. The school’s administration censored the article: At some point in everyone’s lifetime, they find that they are somewhere a minority. While diversity is said to be celebrated in America, today’s teens know that real life can be a different story. There are many pressures to conform to what is normal and to do what everyone else is doing. However, I have found through my self-discovery of who I am that one should never deny who they are. I have vaguely known I was gay since the third grade. I’m not quite sure when I fully embraced it and became ready to tell others, but I know that I did first come out during the spring break of my sophomore year. I came out to a best friend, one whom I knew I could trust and count on for support. I already knew that she was completely gay-friendly and I could not have received a better response from her. The next girl I told was also a best friend and still is, but there was some trouble associated with her, in that she told someone else. It was understandable, but as a tip for those looking to come out, if you only want one person to know, stress just how completely you want them to keep it to themselves. To the friend who is reading this, I still love you! Ha ha. Anyway, soon, I told a third friend and then openly told a bunch of friends who did not attend South. Soon, I had my first boyfriend and that was when I became comfortable enough to tell all of my friends. In June of that year, I came out to all of them. While Wheaton is considered to be rather conservative and Christian, I have to say that I still found my friends to be the most accepting and loving group one could ask for. After coming out, I couldn’t believe it took me so long to do so. Coming out has not been a completely easy process, what with the trouble of telling my parents and the drama that came with that. Even then, it all turned out for the best. However, my main objective of this article is to urge other homosexuals to come out. Even if it is just to one friend, letting out that huge secret is such a relief. Hopefully, the friend you choose to trust will give you such a positive response that you will gain the confidence to tell more people and it will become easier and easier. Even in the textbook for AP Psychology, there is information on a study that linked increased physical illness to the concealment of homosexual identity. It’s basic: It’s not healthy to hide who you are from everyone in your life. The other important thing is that you are doing the gay community no help when you will not embrace it within yourself. People develop stereotypes about homosexuals because they don’t know many. If those same people found that one of their close friends was gay, especially that they never suspected, they would be forced to reevaluate their opinions. Don’t be afraid to be honest. I speak from the experience I know best, which is homosexuality, and while my main point of this article was to be true to that if you happen to be homosexual, the larger theme can also be taken. Be who you are, because covering it up is never going to help you. If you are only putting up a facade for people to like, then they don’t really know you and thus, can’t truly like you until they know who you are. The friends that you really want are the ones that like you for your true self. Original source