Editor's note: This is the sixth in a series about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Athens.
Micah Mitchell was out, sort of.
Some close friends knew he was gay, but he remained firmly in the closet to the majority of his friends and neighbors.
In the fall of 2004, a talk by Judy Shepherd, whose son was murdered because of his homosexuality, inspired him. She has become a nationally renowned speaker advocating anti-hate crime legislation.
The morning after her talk in the auditorium, Mitchell taped The Post's article about her speech to his door with a picture of himself and a sign that said, I'm gay.
I was waiting for it to be ripped down
the senior said.
The only response he received was from a neighbor asking him for skin-care tips.
College is a new environment, and for many LGBT students, inextricably linked with their coming-out process. Groups such as Open Doors provide forums for students to discuss their individual situations, which can be as varied as the students themselves, said Mickey Hart, assistant director of Campus Life for LGBT programs.
One of the main concerns for a student considering coming out of the closet is how other students ' whom they might have just met ' will react. Many students, Mitchell included, said that when they came out they expected a backlash that never happened.
(Other students) want to be accepting and they want to be tolerant but they don't know how
said junior Will Wemer, the student senator for LGBT affairs.
A number of students come to college already out. Wemer was open about his sexuality at his high school in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland.
In the LGBT community, coming-out stories can be like badges of honor. Students have the full range of reactions: parents disowning their children, violence, tears. A few are trouble-free.
OU sophomore Kendra Thomas sauntered home at 1 a.m. after spending the night with friends. Her mother was waiting and an argument ensued. Then 15-year-old Thomas came out, without warning.
I told my mom I was depressed because I hadn't seen my girlfriend and 'I'm gay
' she said. Her mother responded with a three-hour talk about how homosexuality is not OK just because TV portrays it as acceptable.
Angela Predisik, a graduate student, came out to her sister and then her mom when she was 18. They accepted her but not without some doubt.My mom still cried
she said, because she was scared for me.
Predisik's mother has a gay brother and saw the way people treated him. She did not want the same harm for her daughter. Predisik came out to her dad a year later but said it was all pretty painless.
Mitchell said it's crucial for students to feel they can come out in a safe environment, something the SpeakOUT! Project tries to achieve by organizing panel discussions in classes, residence halls, Greek houses and other university settings. The talks allow students and faculty to pose questions to the volunteer panelists.
It's important to let people know they can be honest
he said.
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