I'm a lot older than you, but you know what? Your youthful experiences remind me very much of my own. Sounds like your high school in California could have been my high school in Iowa. Same homophobic jokes, same dehumanizing. Same undercurrent of disdain.

I internalized a lot of that, and regaining my own basic dignity and humanity took a lot of work.

By 1990, I was living in New York City, and I had the great pleasure and privilege of marching in the streets with Queer Nation and Act Up. I wasn't a leader, or anybody important at all. I just leaned against the back wall at Cooper Union on Act Up Tuesday nights — listening, taking it all in.

And I showed up to march when bodies were needed.

I don't remember how I felt in 1990 or 1991 about the eventual success or failure of our movement. I know I wasn't uniformly positive. Sometimes I despaired. But I was surrounded by people determined never to give up.

I'm so thankful to all of them for that.

And thank you for the reminder that we're more powerful together!