A Sister’s Journey
By Dawn
When I told my sister I was a lesbian, I was 14 years old and she was 10. She was outwardly supportive. That is, at least she did not hate me. Over time, I came to know that she was seriously confused. She did not really believe in homosexuality. She had decided that it was really just me being weird as usual. My sister and I talked often about it. Eventually, she began to realize that perhaps it was not so strange, especially with the way my mom was totally supporting me. She met many of my friends, who are also gay, and was totally scared by them all. But as time went by, she began to accept them. I soon found out that she had become a sort of peer counselor to friends that were struggling with their sexuality. She was able to tell them that her sister was gay, so she understood by association what they were going through. Now she is writing a persuasive essay for a class on why gay marriage should be legal. I am so proud of her. I have often told her that I look up to her, my little sister.
Dawn, Santa Barbara, Calif.
April 28, 2004