The most intense day in high school was the day I tried to explain to my best friend that I was upset he spent so much time with his girlfriend. Our friendship became awkward from then on. Lots of things happened that I should’ve realized were gay signs, but there was so little information back then. I simply thought that if I stayed religious, I would outgrow those mystery feelings. This photo of me is my favorite, since being the piano player at age sixteen kept me popular enough to be included. But I always felt that I was alone somehow. My life bloomed when I came out, and my partner and I have been together over twenty years.
