It's hard to imagine you have a student who feels unsafe because there's a book about gay people in the library. She must soak up so much hateful homophobia at home.

I know you say the solution isn't to come out to her, and you're probably right that that's not the solution to the book-banning problem.

But from me to you, I think she very much needs to hear that you are queer, so she can begin to understand that what she's learning at home is wrong.

Clearly, she sees queer people as disgusting. I think she needs to learn by example. I think she needs to learn that a person she respects and admires is queer.

It's hard to hate people you already know and respect.