Sally Neidhard, Ally  Senior, Journalism
INVOLVEMENTS AT OU:
Women's Affairs Commissioner of Student Senate 07'-08', Resident's Assistant for
Brown Hall 07'-08', Scripps Ambassador - Scripps School of Journalism 07'-08',
Vice President of Student Senate 08'-09'
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE OUT or TO BE AN ALLY?
For me it is incredibly important to be an Ally, specifically a vocal Ally, because people need to know that there are allies in the world. LGBT people need to know that they have straight supporters, and straight people need to understand that homophobia and hate crimes are not issues that only affect the LGBT community--they affect all of us. As soon as "he's Gay" can be used as an excuse for a hate crime, we might as well accept "he has brown hair" as an excuse for hurting someone.
WHY ARE YOU “PROUD”? WHAT ARE YOU MOST “PROUD” OF?
I'm proud of my friends who have come out. I do not know if I would be able to handle having to tell my family that I was Gay, regardless of how supportive they may or may not be. I know for a lot of my friends that has been the hardest thing they have ever done and I'm proud of them for doing it. It takes remarkable courage to come out of the closet knowing the adversity you will face in this country.
WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF COMING OUT?
I know for many of my friends who came out, the hardest part was worrying about people treating them differently or thinking about them differently. They didn't want to be seen as "the Gay kid", they wanted to be seen as who they were.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO COME OUT?
Regardless of the opposition that you may receive from some, always know that there is a community that WILL support you. It may not be easy to find, and you might not find it until college or until after college, but there is a community waiting to embrace you for who you are.
THOUGHTS FOR NON-LGBT PEOPLE ABOUT LGBT PEOPLE AND CONCERNS:
A message from an Ally to the general public: Please do not assume that just because people are not openly LGBT that they will stand for homophobic slurs. Allies are all around you and I'm offended by slurs and insults just as much as I would be if I were LGBT.
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