As time passes, it becomes clear to me that high school is not an easy time for anyone. Of course, the correctness of this mere fact is inescapable, but I feel I may have other reasons for wanting to believe that my problems, by comparison, were nothing to worry about. I'm sure I'm not the first queer person to attempt to put my sexuality in some kind of perspective by understanding it as a smaller component of my life than it actually is. After all, the GLBT movement is committed to the safety of all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation. I would argue that a person's sexual orientation affects almost every way person relates to him or her self and everyone that an individual relates to.
High school is a very important period when examined from a developmental viewpoint.
In my opinion, high school is the place where individuals learn to use the tools to learn to accept themselves, respect others, and become more comfortable with their identity. It is also the place where sexuality becomes far more than an academic phenomenon for students, regardless of what their sexual orientation is. High school is the best opportunity for support and intervention for kids who grow up queer. When I consider my high school experience, I consider myself to be lucky. I didn't try to kill myself.