I’m From Arlington Heights, IL.

by Tom Q.

I’m From Arlington Heights, IL.

The biggest thing for me in high school was to take my boyfriend to a school dance, which was unheard of in my conservative school. We are known as the gay school cause of my best friend and me, but who cares. I really wanted to do it, and even during the dance, people would move away from us in disgust. The next Monday at school, one of my teachers pulled me aside and said, “Even that was too much for me, and I can take a lot of different activity.”

That sucked, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from being myself at school. It was the only place I felt safe, so I was going to keep being myself there.

That was two years ago and now I live in Boulder, CO, where I go to school and my life has become so much better because the people are awesome out here.

The best advice I can give other teens is to be yourself, and remember that life does get better. It may take some time, but it does get better and when it does, all the waiting will be worth it.

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