Being Myself and Building My Career are One in the Same

Like almost all queer people, I’ve dealt with insults, snide comments, and sometimes physical threats as a result of my sexual orientation.  Luckily, however, I was privileged to have a progressive family that supported me, and despite being raised in a conservative enclave in Dallas, my community and school were nevertheless safe and (mostly) accepting of who I was.  As a result, I largely avoided the overwhelming discrimination, harassment, and abuse that causes queer youth to face the highest rates of homelessness and suicide in the country.

Although it would have perhaps been wiser as a queer kid in Texas to fly under the radar, I’ve always spoiled for a fight (I’m a litigator at heart, I suppose).  So during high school I pushed to start our school’s Gay Straight Alliance, and then volunteered and served on the national board of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization for K-12 students).