Is it possible to be gay in a Catholic school in which, by signing your admittance contract you agree
to give up your First Ammendment rights? Well, I find this question very similar to - is it possible to bend dress code without
getting detention? Hell, yeah! However, the gay or lesbian Catholic student is much, much more cautious than the average run-of-the-mill
student, and indeed more aware of their environment. Is this a positive or negative reaction to such a tightly-knit campus?
In public school, I had many friends who were flamingly gay (and flaming is nowhere near a strong enough
descriptor for them. They know who they are ;->) They felt safe in expressing themselves, or rather, they felt they had
as much right to express themselves as the straight people. (Does anyone feel "safe" expressing themselves in school?) Granted,
there were times when homophobes sought them to exercise their violent tendencies, but a strong group of friends could prevent,
or exact retribution in such a way that the homophobes greatly revised their positions. In private school, no one feels that
comfortable, I don't think. Even with our exclusive cliques of friends, I think many of us guard ourselves, as, indeed, we
should. Rumors run rampant and the administration is not far behind the student body in knowing - more often they are ahead
of the student body in believing the rumors. If I have any advice for anyone who goes to a private school it would be to make
and keep very good friends outside school so that when you feel your head is about to explode you can go to someone who is
detached from that madness.
To my friends who still attend St. Joe's - one who shall remain nameless in particular (she knows who
she is) - have my sumpathy and empathy and willingness to beat anyone who hurts them. (I am a basal, violent person. Haven't
you all figured that out yet?) I was lucky to get out early. Be strong and be proud.
Someday I would hope everyone - even the staunchly unreasonable Catholic church - would be accepting
and open enough to accept other's sexuality and find beauty in the people themselves. But then, I do get horridly optimistic
at times.
