Today I returned my 35th high school reunion response. It was a “No thanks”. As a typical gay person growing up in a small rural town in the 60s – 70s, high school was not exactly the most pleasant experience of my life. I had a small circle of friends and did very well academically. That is generality case of most GLBT people I know; they channel their effort and time into the safety of academics. Overall it was not a friendly or accepting environment for a person questioning their sexuality. As a matter of fact, I suspect the same atmosphere exists in that school today. The area continues to decline economically and is not exactly the most progressive or open community.

I had attended my 20th reunion and found the same old cliques and few people I had any relationship with. It was actually somewhat unfriendly. I knew then that I had moved past that place and those people in my life. Today, I seldom return home. I only visit my mother and brother every other week on a Sunday afternoon. There are a few people I would like to see, but it’s not worth the memories a reunion would rekindle.