stepsister Stephanie. She and I
were very close a while back,
when her father and my mother
had first married. "she’d tell me _
her dirty little secrets and I'd
offer my own insight on what

Editor's note: This is the
second in a two-part series.
The first part can be found
in our January issue.

I 0: When I 135‘? left Off, I the hell was wrong with her. It
. had t01d my friends and was a good relationship. It was
Parents 3b011t my 110- another day of just the two of

mosexuality. Of course, I must: A
have told others as weH, and
here are the smaller stories of
1'-11059 Pe0Pl¢_§tnd how I man— sure how to say what was on
aged t0 t9ll{t1lem- W01'kiI18 UP . my mind, but then let slip that
the courage’  these iI1diVidt1-  my,c_urrent boyfriend and I
would be going to an event hap-
pening in Fair Haven’s park. ’

I said this with a smile and
a laugh, and I could tell she
wasn’t believing me. I usually
made jokes, so who could blame
her for thinking this was just
that She soon realized that I_
wasn’t joking and proceeded

us at home. She was talking
about going somewhere with
her current boyfriend. I wasn’t

      

 

as daunting,as- theencounters
with myvparents. Also note
that the highs and lows of my
secret hadn’t vanished, but had
severely gone down from my
first days of being closeted.
The first person I would
like tosmention would be my

 

Campus Shuts Cut Freedom Riders

.LYNCHBURG, VA - The Soulforce Equality Ride '— a freedom bus

ride of 35 young adults scheduled to confront 19 homophobic reli-
gious colleges and military academies — will begin here on March 10
at Liberty University. The institution has refused to aHow Equality
Ride participants to visit the campus, the event’s website reports,
and further, has threatened arrest if the young riders come onto the
campus. »

Founded by Dr. Jerry Falwell in 1971, Liberty University serves
more than 20,000 residential and off—carnpus students.

“We remind,Reverend Falwell that it was less than 40 years ago
that he took similar stands as he denied admission to this church
to people of color,” said Equality Ride Co—Director Haven Herrin.
“Has he forgotten how he called the Civil Rights movement the Civil

' ‘Wrong’ movement? It is time that he learn from history and end yet

another form of discrimination he practices.”

Like the Freedom Rides of the Civil Rights era in the 50’s and
60’s, the Equality Ride will take a busload of young adults on an
eight-week tour ofeducational institutions that ban the enrollment
of LGBT students.

The tour begins with a week of training in Washington DC, then
Will travel as far as California and wrap up in Washington again at
the end of April. V

......._______________

a From wvvw.equa|ityride.com. Also see Sou|force.org.

MARCH 2006 I out in the mountains 1:1 .

If you're between the ages of 15-25 and have something to say, I
_ this page is for YOUR stories, commentary, toons, art and pix.
Contact editor@mountainpridemedia.org.

Coming Out: “Branching Cut”.,W...

to cover her mouth to try and
cover the “big drama gasp”
that soon erupted. She didn't
mind it at all, and I knew then
that she’d be the one to talk
to about boyfriends and gay
issues whenever needed.

At this time we no lon-
ger live together, and have
parted a little bit. She knows
I'm gay though, and doesn't
mind it still. We laugh and
joke about it, and when she
sees me with a guy, she al-

_ways asks if he’s “with” me.

My other sister, April, was
a different matter in how she
found out. I never told her, as
I was never quite sure how
to work that into a conversa-
tion. “Hey April, how are the
kids, and—would you look at
that guy doing construction!”
Yeah. . .no. Steph dutifully told
her though. When that was I am
not sure, but April doesn’t re-
ally care either, which doesn't
surprise me much. She’s a
warm, loving person, and even
told me that my “friend”, as
she called him, could come to
her kids’ first birthday party.

Moving right along to my
dear aunt Maggie. I told her
straight out (yeah, pun, let’s
move right along). It was the
day my father got remarried,

v and she was the one to drive

me home from the reception.
I asked her if dad had told her
I was gay, and the tone of her
voice immediately told me no.
We spoke a little‘ awkwardly
about it for a couple of minutes.
She’s another sweet person,
but I could tell that the sudden-
ness of it really shocked her.
She asked me what oth-
ers had asked before her.
She asked, “what if you wake
up tomorrow and you’re not
gay?” I wanted to tell her that
it didn't work like that, or that
if it did happen she’d be the ‘
first to know. I don’t think that
I actually mustered out an
answer and we never really
spoke about that again. I don’t
think she really minds, but as
always, how do you fit that in?
Everyone has that grand-
mother. You know the one!
She quilts and cooks, goes to
church and cleans. Watches
Lifetime movies, and takes the

morning walks. The one that
always smiles and always has
a warm feeling. Everyone has
that grandmother, but how

in the world do you tell them
you're gay? Here's the trick

‘I've used before. You don’t!

The first part of my article
was just about to come out
(am I not a furmy guy?) in the
paper, and she wanted a copy. I
knew that I would need to talk
to her, but had no idea how to
do so. I told my father about
this problem, and he called her
up that night (without me quite
knowing this). He told her what
the article was about, but was
soon surprised himself. Maggie,
from over a year ago, had told
grandma about me being gay.
This told me two things. One,
that Maggie had accepted my
sexuality as fact, and two, that
grandma was already prepared.

Therfact that she had known
for a while and not said anything
or acted any different, meant to
me that she wasn’t really both-
ered by this. Not saying that I
thought she was going to go bal-
listic, I also didn’t think that she
wouldn’t say anything if she did
know. She did sound disappoint-
ed that I wouldn’t have a little
girl that looked like an Indian,
but let’s just skip right along... .

My stepmother was a dif-
ferent case than the rest of
these family members. I did
tell her, a long while back. If
memory serves right, it was
before she and my father had
even married. She didn't really
say anything negative, and was
seemingly supportive. Well,
actually no. She still said that
I’d find a nice girl someday and
I gave up after a few minutes of
“but I don’t want a nice girl! ".

Time passed and we never
really needed to say anything
else on the issue. This may
have been a bad move on my
part. In all actuality, I think she
forgot! She’s made comments
that when I get a girlfriend a lot
of my problems will go away,
and has also asked if I have one
yet. Judging by the tone of her V
voice, it is hard to understand
whether she actually forgot,
or if she's just being snide.
Either way, it is quite uncalled
for. We don’t have a really

solid relationship, so I guess
I can deal. It is sad though, as
she is a part of my family.
There they are, the other
key figures that know. Besides
my cousin Danny who found
out purely by looking into a
book I was published in, and
seeing my author profile. Also
my other cousins, who may or
may not know. A lot of loose
ends still need tying, and a lot
more are still totally unraveled.

ou may be wonder- '
ing what’s going on in
my world as of now.

Well, where I last left off, my

father was doing fine with me, , ,

and still is. My mother, wasn't"
so okay with it. I am happy

to state a change in situation.
The last article may have been
misleading, and I'm here to

_ tell you how she’s doing now.

Every Wednesday at four,
I am in a GLBTQ group (Iden-
tity Project) at Rutland Mental
Health. It's a small one, but we
have enough people to help run
it. My mother clears time out of
her day every week to take me
there, and never really minds
it. (The fact that it is in Rutland
Mental Health maybe, but the
group itself, no.) We have begun
getting comfortable and have
been making jokes just like my
friends and I do. She's come a
long way, and I would like to
thank my mother for doing so.

Coming out certainly isn’t a
quick process, nor is it one that
may ever end. No matter how
old you are, or what position
you’re in, you’ll always have
to say to someone “oh yeah,
I’m gay". Even though it might
never end, at least it truly does
get easier and easier over time.
That’s something that I think
a lot of people should look
forward to, and should think
about when coming out for the
first times seem so rough. V

Will Holden is a junior at
Fairhaven Union High School.

5 For more information on
the group serving Rutland
County, contact Karen Grimm

at Rutland Mental Health
Services, 775-4388.

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.maW  , A  M  ‘