Jay

Growing up in Pine Village, Indiana, I went to school at Seeger Memorial High School in West Lebanon and came out as gay my senior year. I was mostly closeted because of the conservative small-town stereotypes that played reality in my life but luckily things at home were much different for me. My family was very accepting of who I was and created an inclusive environment for me.

After high school I began college at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and I am currently a junior studying Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Spanish. I am also a member of Purdue's Varsity Glee Club. I would not say that Indiana is inclusive of the queer community as a whole, but Purdue definitely is. Since my freshman year at Purdue I felt like I could be who I truly was. Boiler Gold Rush was a great starting point for me to fully accept my sexuality and Purdue's Free Zone Program message created a safe community for me. I never felt like I had to "come out" once I was at college, rather I just let people figure it out on their own or only talked about it if they brought up or if they asked about it. Purdue is where I feel most safe and accepted.

Purdue University is a place where I have great pride in who I am. However, I wish the rest of Indiana could create the same accepting atmosphere. If I could change one thing about Indiana I would ask that people would just be more open-minded. They don’t have to accept it, but at least they could be more open to individuals that are outside of the heterosexual norm. As individuals continue to refuse to be open-minded I fear that Indiana may reverse laws put into place that recognize the queer community and may discriminate more in the future. Despite the laws, my family will always be here in Indiana. I want to travel internationally and learn about other countries and cultures after I graduate. I am unsure if Indiana will be my home forever because I plan to travel wherever the work takes me. Regardless, I will always want to come back to my family.