Saba Whitmore

Saba Whitmore - Class of 2017

When I was 14, I realized that I was gay. As an awkward 8th grader trying to figure out why I thought girls were attractive, this was the hardest thing to accept. No one ever talks about sexuality and what to do if you're questioning yourself. So I spent the next four years in absolute fear and self-loathing because I couldn't accept it. I didn't want to be the "lesbian" of my grade. In my experience, people always joked about stuff like that. No one ever took it seriously. As a direct result, I spent from 8th grade to the summer before senior year hating myself for it and creating a lot of fear, anxiety, and depression.

I didn't get the courage to tell anyone until my junior year where I spent a solid 2 hours crying over FaceTime to my best friend and swearing her to secrecy until I was ready to tell anyone else. Five more cole people later, and the fear slowly started to fade away. Knowing the people you care about accept you for something you couldn't even accept yourself for, is the best feeling in the world. It was the biggest weight of depression and anxiety lifted off of my shoulders.

Coming out wasn't a matter of having everyone accept me, it was a matter of being ready for that kind of judgment and owning it no matter what was said about me. So here I am senior year, out and proud, and it's one of the best decisions of my life. I don't care what others think of me; therefore, the only opinion of me that matters is mine. And I love me!