Ohio University

Kate Burns, Lesbian 

Junior B.S.S - Biogeography

INVOLVEMENTS AT OU:

OU Red Cross, Beta Beta Beta, OU Wildlife Club, SpeakOUT!, Humans Vs. Zombies

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE OUT?:

It is important to be out because it is much harder to demonize or demoralize a group when they are giving you a friendly smile.

WHY ARE YOU PROUD?:

I'm proud to be out during a time of social reform in the U.S.A. I stand on the shoulders of giants, of course, in the fight for LGBT rights, but I hope someday I can tell stories about what I lived through. In the future, LGBT discrimination may seem as alien as racial segregation seems to us today. That will be a great day.

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART ABOUT COMING OUT?:

Telling my parents was the most difficult part of coming out.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO COME OUT?:

Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.

THOUGHTS FOR NON-LGBT PEOPLE ABOUT LGBT PEOPLE AND CONCERNS:

You never know if someone around you is LGBTQ, and so you never know if you could hurt someone's feelings by making a joke. Be sensitive about LGBT rights, even when no one is looking.