Going Against The Grain (part 1).
I met my husband in high school.
[I’ll go ahead and pause here for reaction]
Most people wrinkle their nose, or say “Oh.” in that tone that indicates that they feel our relationship can’t possibly be valid, or they’re feeling particularly bold, they say “Don’t you feel like you’re missing out on things?”
I’ve never felt like I’m missing out on anything by being with my husband. He makes my life better. But if you MUST know, just because we met in high school doesn’t mean we dated in high school. In fact, I told him I was interested in him, and he told me we couldn’t see each other. But we remained friends, and high school is the first time that I saw my husband go against the grain.
News spread like wildfire that a boy had been beaten during gym class for being gay.
I only knew one kid that was out in our high school. It wasn’t common and my husband felt that was wrong. He felt that everyone should be safe at school. He felt that everyone should be able to be who they are, love who they love, and not have to worry about being mistreated because of their sexual orientation. He jumped through hoops with the administration to form the school’s first Gay Straight Alliance. He got members. He organized activities like Day of Silence. And I loved him for it.