I
started
to
come
out
to
friends
in
1992
and
was
outed
that
same
year
in
college
by
the
Daily
Nebraskan
—
the
newspaper
on
the
University
of
Nebraska-Lincoln’s
campus.
A
photo
appeared
on
the
front
cover
of
me
tearing
up
fliers Rev. Fred
Phelps
was
passing
out
to
students.
The caption read,
“Gay Sophomore Scott
Roewer....”
I
think
the
hardest
people
to
come
out
to
were
my
family.
I
flew
home
the
summer
of
1993
to
tell
them
and
my
dad
had
to
leave
town
for
business.
So
I
ended
up
telling
my
mom
first.
I
was
a
crying
mess
and
so
was
she,
yet
commented
she
told
her
mother
that
she
thought
I
was
gay
at
age
12.
Kevin
Jennings,
founder
of
the
Gay,
Lesbian
and
Straight
Education
Network
(GLSEN)
a
national
organization
comprised
of
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
transgender
and
allied
individuals
who
wish
to
put
an end
to
discrimination,
harassment,
and
bullying
based
on
sexual
orientation
and
gender
identity
in
K-12
schools
in
the
United
States.
As
a
former
public
school
teacher,
I
saw
the
pain
students
faced
daily from discrimination.
I
also
feared ridicule as
a
teacher.
The
mission
Kevin
Jennings
had
in
1990
was admirable and
continues
to
open
the
doors
for
GLBT
students
and
teachers
each
day.
Well,
since
Monica
already
claimed
the
Oval
Office,
I’ll
have
to
say
I
enjoy
a
night
of
two-stepping
at
Remingtons,
or
anywhere
I
can
spend
time
with
my
close
friends.
We
manage
to
have
fun
no
matter
where
we
end
up.
Having
earned
the
Eagle
Scout
Badge
in
1990’s
I
learned
how
to
tie
every
knot
except
that
one.
While
I
think
that
everyone
should
have
all
the
rights
available
through
marriage
available
equally,
I
do
not
personally
limit
my
relationships
to
the
heterosexual
marriage
model.
I
would
get
married
if
I
found
the
right
guy
and
it
felt
right
to
both
of
us,
but
there
are
many
other
types
of
relationships
which
I
see
as
equally
valuable
and
affirming.
Easy,
affordable
health
care.
As
a
self-employed
person
running
a
small
business,
it
has
been
incredibly
difficult
to
get
health
insurance.
I
think
our
country
needs
to
follow
the
example
of
other
industrialized
nations
in
providing
health
care
to
all
of
our
citizens.
Or,
I
need
a
husband
who
has
domestic
partner
benefits.
I’d
be
happy
to
accept
both.
There
are
so
many
things
that
need
to
be
reversed.
Here’s
a
few
things
I’d
change
-
hanging
chads,
the
invention
of
spandex,
the
election
of
Sally
Kern,
Rami
not
winning
Project
Runway,
global
warming,
the
Holocaust,
five
years
in
Iraq,
and
January
20,
2001
—
Bush’s inaugural ceremony.
I
can’t
just
pinpoint
one
-
but
some
of
my
favorites
are
from
the
’80s.
Michael
Jackson’s
“Thriller”
video
on
MTV,
going
to
see
“ET”
in
the
movie
theater,
my
Rubik’s
Cube,
“Star
Wars”
and
“Where’s
the
Beef.”
It’s
a
toss
up
between,
“So
You
Think
You
Can
Dance”
or
“Dancing
With
the
Stars.”
I
think
I
need
a
trip
to
rehab
or
a
washed
up
TV
career
before
I’ll
be
invited
on
that
program.
Being
an
organizer
I
try
to
purge
my
closet
on
a
regular
basis.
After
all,
I
should
practice
what
I
preach,
right?
Besides,
I’ve
had
a
total
of
13
addresses since
my
high
school
days
in
Bellevue,
Nebraska.
Moving
that
many
times
you
learn
to
lighten
your
load.
I
do
have
my
letter
from
my
high
school
jacket.
I
played
tennis,
but
got
a
letter
for
band
and
choir.
My
Closet
is
Open
and
It’s
So
ORGANIZED!
Oh,
please,
there
are
enough
gay
scientists
to
prevent
this
from
ever
happening!
The
world
needs
us
fabulous
people.
I’m
hoping
not
to
know
anything
about
it
for
a
long
time,
but
I’ll
let
you
know
when
I
get
there.
There
was
this
quaint
BBQ
place
in
Kansas
City
called
Oklahoma
Joe’s.
It
was
located
in
the
back
of
a
gas
station.
The
line
would
be
out
the
door
at
lunch
the
food
was
SO
good.
I’d
order
me
a
Z-Man
Sandwich,
an
order
of
their
incredible
onion
rings
and
french
fries
too,
plus
some
of
the
baked
beans.
I’m
sure
the
stomachache
I’d
have
would
be
enough
to
kill
me,
making
it
my
last
meal.
Anything
that
is
shiny,
has
buttons
to
push
and is made
by
Apple.
I
think
it
is
stupid
that
gay
men
think
they
can’t
associate
or
get
along
with
lesbians.
