Well, this is a flashback

Back when I was a freshman in high school, I wrote a pro-gay opinion piece for my high school newspaper. I have no doubt I would cringe if I saw it now. Not because of the sentiment, obviously, but the one or two lines I remember...well, if one or two of you think I can be confrontational in my writing now...

This was me at 14 years old, having only recently come under the influence of Harlan Ellison. And this was in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1985, for pete's sake. Universe knows who I thought I was standing up to.

But anyway, it caused a small (almost miniscule-I don't want to make this into more than it was) amount of controvery. Someone wrote a reply piece, and I wrote a reply to that reply piece, blah blah blah.

I tell you this for two reasons. One is to preen that I'm no gay rights-come-lately, you know. The other is because over twenty years later in Fort Wayne, Indiana, someone is going through the same shit.

A student wrote a similiar editorial (though probably much better reasoned and more persuasive than mine). The school principal responded by demanding the right to read all materials submitted to the newspaper in the future, to make sure it's "appropriate."

When the journalism teacher refused, he accused her of insubordination.