I came out as a lesbian when I started going out with my first girlfriend in October 2009 at secondary school, when I was in year 10. I had a negative reaction my sexuality being declared, in that people would ask me personal questions when I was in class, that they would not have asked me if I was straight.
There were some people in particular that would shout “Lesbian” after me as I walked home, and call me rude and offensive names.
One boy tried to push me off my bike on my way home from school but that was the only physical abuse I got for being out at school, the rest of it was emotional and psychological.
For example when we were getting changed for PE I would get dirty looks from the girls, because they were worried I was ‘perving on them’.
Comments would be carelessly thrown about, no-one thought about how it was affecting me and making me feel. None of the teachers were particularly helpful about the homophobia and I even overheard my English teacher say to another teacher “If she didn’t want to be bullied, she shouldn’t have come out”.
I was victimised by my friends as they made a fake Facebook account and tormented me on it and would not admit it was them, when I discovered they all hated me I told my tutor about what they had done and she believed I was making it up and stated “I’m sure they wouldn’t do that”.
Overall my experiences at secondary school were very negative and I feel that I was victimised because of my sexuality.
Wednesday 2 January 2013
An Introduction To My Blog!
I've been in The Daily Echo in an article about my book and homophobia in school, and will soon be in teen and adult magazines, such as Mizz with a similar article - exciting! On my Facebook page I have 2 albums that I like to think are inspirational. A quotes one, which is just feel good, and then LGBT Equality photos, about 500+ photos related to homophobia, LGBT rights, coming out, etc. I have a Facebook group: LGBT Equality and Support Gay Marriage in which I share photos, posts, news articles etc surrounding the issue of LGBT rights and equality.
Basically I want:
Equality and diversity and love.
And to get rid of:
Prejudice, discrimination and hate.
Is it that hard?
Someone has to do it.
Bring the challenge on.
Letter To My Grandma
Dear Grandma Edna.
The other day when I was lying awake in bed I had the idea to write you this letter.I know three years ago, Dad told you I was gay, and we have not spoken about that since. I wanted to tell you how I feel so that you have a better understanding of what my life is like at times. I have known I’m gay since I was 12 and it is NOT a phase. Also, I did NOT choose to be gay-when does anyone choose their sexuality? They don’t. No, I simply began falling for people but I realised it was girls I liked not boys. Gay people have always been around, it is just that in your generation people did not admit to it because it was still not legal and they would be stigmatised, beaten and verbally abused. Now that it is legal to literally ‘be yourself’ a lot more gay people are coming out. You may not be happy about it but I do not want to live a lie and be unhappy for the rest of my life. I’d much rather admit to being who I am and get on with my life. I think that as long as I am happy, my family should not mind. I am not ashamed about who I am, it is me, I am part of the minority, but that does not make me a freak. I am human, I have feelings, why should I be put down for something I did not and would not choose? At the end of the day, I am going to marry a woman and I am hopefully going to be in love and happy-and what is so bad about that?
None of the above is intended in a rude, sarcastic or scrutinising manner, I just wanted to share my feelings with you.
Lots of love
Your granddaughter
Victoria
xxxxx
When Sally Met Sally published this post on their website on 7th June 2013.
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