I was once gay
I no longer identify as gay, and none of the drug and alcohol use is part of my life. I am healthier and more fulfilled than ever before. I am from North Carolina and had a great family as a young child, but I grew up being bullied by neighborhood kids and classmates. I was so frequently called names like “gay” and “fag” that I began to believe that must really be who I was. When I was ten, my parents divorced, after which I experienced even deeper hurt as a result of our broken home. Throughout my middle and high school years, I experimented with drugs and partying and became really confused about my sexuality. In high school, I started becoming more comfortable with identifying as gay. After graduation, I was fully in that lifestyle, with continued drug use and promiscuity. As a result, I was kicked out of my father’s house, which led to what I perceived as rejection. In 2009, I hit my lowest point in life—finding out that I was HIV positive. My life crumbled, and I thought that