Larry

I am from LaGrange, Illinois and currently live in Muncie, Indiana studying Accounting and Spanish at Ball State University. I chose Ball State because I received a scholarship to be in the Miller Business Honors Program. In addition to the business program, I am also a part of Circle K International. Circle K is a service organization where we focus on service, fellowship and leadership and serve as the Treasurer. I also serve as the Vice President of Ball State's Spanish Club.

Ball State is usually an inclusive environment for the LGBT community, but not always. There are a lot of preachers that spread a lot of hate but I would say that the majority of students are welcoming. I have met a lot of supportive people here. Muncie as a city however is not an inclusive place. It is a very small town which I am not used to it at all since I am from the "Big City". The majority of Muncie locals seem to be white and Christian; very old school. If I could change anything about my experience here in Indiana, I would make Muncie a more accepting and open environment for its LGBT community. Currently, I feel like I would be uncomfortable holding hands with another guy here. Frequently people drive around with confederate flags for example, which creates an unwelcoming environment. I definitely feel most accepted at home, but when I am here I feel most accepted with my friends and when I am in the dorms.

My sexuality is just a small part of who I am. I don’t think sexuality is who you are as a person. Your actions are what truly define who you are. How you treat other people is more important than who you sleep with. When I was at home in Illinois, I wasn't really open about my sexuality. Not because people weren't welcoming or that my family wasn't accepting, but I was just afraid of how they would react. I don't necessarily act like the stereotypical gay and when I did come out they were shocked. They didn't know how to take it at first, so I kept my sexuality more discrete. But, LaGrange overall was very accepting. My family is very supportive of me being gay and treats me the same way they have treated my sister's relationships.

My biggest fear of being gay in Indiana is getting harassed for being gay or being too flamboyant and being judged for it. You don't really see that happening in larger cities like Indianapolis. However, I think here you just get looks and people don't really do anything. Regardless, there is that underlying fear of "oh are they judging me or how do they feel about my sexuality?" I don’t see this place in Indiana as my forever home. Being from Chicago I definitely want to go back there or to a big city.