Emily Frerichs
MOC-Floyd-Valley High School

"In February of my junior year, I came out to my parents, and a few days later, publicly at my high school and in my community of Orange City. I lost very close friends; I received anonymous e-mails telling me I was going to hell, and whispers and stares attributed to my paranoia about my personal safety. I saw my GPA drop to a 3.0 that quarter because I couldn’t concentrate on anything.

After coming out, I was no longer allowed to dress with my classmates for Physical Education. For three months, I sat outside the doors while the rest of the girls changed and I waited for them to come out so I could go in. I changed by myself, accompanied only by tears and humiliation because while they all had the right to be in there, I no longer did. Several times, I heard rumors that other students wanted to vandalize my home, and graffiti has been written on my car in the past.

With the help of the Iowa Pride Network, I started a Gay-Straight Alliance in my high school and I’ve seen the positive impact. Once having heard, “that’s so gay” at least twenty times a day, I no very rarely hear it uttered from students’ lips. My GPA this past semester was a 3.945, and I am overall a happier person. Through it all, the Iowa Pride Network served as a valuable resource for me and I’m grateful for it."