It has been about 1 year since I've been out so I am going to have a little celebration for myself this weekend because no one else really cares that I've come out anymore. So to kick off my "long" weekend of self celebration I'm going to start with my story! YES!

It started about with this extra credit school project I was doing for English. I was really stuck because it was supposed to be a project about me and my family and well, frankly I didn't care much for family and I was such a closet case that I didn't know how to express myself on a poster board. But one day it I was at a thrift store with my sister Brooke (who knew I was lesbian) and she bought me a second hand tuxedo. I was so excited and I told her I would where it during my presentation. Then it appeared so clear to me... It was like listening to a choir of angels sing halleluhladfdfgg (however you spell that friggin word). I said "I am going to come out." I said it calmly and my sister gave me the biggest hug ever. My sister Brooke means the world to me. So I had about 4 days to prepare my project and I wanted it to be something I would remember for the rest of my life. I wanted to become the person I wanted to be so I took a picture of one of my favorite guy haircuts (for the record it was a sort of emohawk gone Courtney) and got my hair cut like a boys because I wanted to. It looked hot too but now my hair is a shag and it's even better *wink. My friend Ashley came to watch "the cutting of the long hair" and she was very excited when it was done. Although the hair stylist wasn't too thrilled. When I asked her to cut my hair like that she was like "what?". Then I said "look, I'm not asking for a sex change I just want my hair cut. Okay?". Oh it was grand. Then over the weekend I constructed a big giant Sushi roll on a poster board. It was a brilliant idea. I called it "My life in a Sushi Roll". For the record it was a California Roll. The outer layer was the rice. In other words what people see on the surface which was a bright, smart, poetic, kind person. The Nori (seaweed wrap) was the layer I used to protect myself from the world. Then the inside was the crab, avacodo and cucumber which was my desires, who I really am, and every other little detail about my personal, hidden self. After that I constructed a purple bow tie and handkerchief for my tux while I watched the Ellen Degenerous show.

The day I gave my project was sooo scary. I was sweating while I was in the classroom with my tuxedo and neatly polished shoes with the rainbow laces. But when I got up there all of my fear slipped away as I incorporated humor into my presentation. I said some great things which I will not say hear in fear of offending people. My project exceeded 20 minutes as I told people who I really was. I said "I am gay." in front of a class of 32 people. My teacher was amazed, as well as the rest of my class. I got a very high mark for that project. I told my teacher that I should at least get 100%. But I only got 92%. Such is life... After that school was amazing. I was highly respected and I had so many friends. Many people congratulated me and people still talk about my project. I still have a lot of friends. I thought that I was going to be beaten because I live in a small town but everyone sees me as "the friendly lesbian next door". It is great.

Anyways ladies and gentlemen. That is my story. Thank you for your time.

Yours truly,
Courtney