What zip code are you in?
53222

Describe Your status:
Gay

Relationship Status:
Single

Growing up gay in Milwaukee, I had both good and bad experiences. I was teased quite a few times as a kid for suspicion of being gay, mostly by people I didn't know: called 'faggot', hit and kicked in school, and even followed home a few times by groups of guys threatening to beat me up. All of that before even coming out! Some demonstrative examples of bad neighbors, obviously, that probably could have benefited from this campaign. Despite this, my friends - who all happened to be straight - were, and still are, the epitome of good neighbors: supportive and loving. When I first came out to them, my best friend gave me a high five and another friend tried to make me feel less nervous about it by telling me she was also gay (she wasn't, but the thought behind the fib was very sweet). Not one person among my friends and family rejected me for being gay, one of my hugest fears before coming out. So I suppose my neighbor experiences in Milwaukee have been both extremely good and not so great. I only hope that this project helps create a general community around Milwaukee like the one I was lucky enough to have grown into: full of love, acceptance, equality, and even enthusiasm for our LGBT friends and neighbors.