It's no secret that Newfoundland, during the millennium, was not the most incredible place to grow up gay. While the province had undoubtedly evolved through the years, many of us were left with a bitter taste in our mouths, Itching for the day we could leave the island and never look back. But running away doesn’t solve your problems; years of unwarranted mental and physical abuse had lasting effects on any person. It’s been over a decade since the last of our generation bid farewell to Newfoundland’s education system. And now five of us speak about those experiences. Where did Newfoundland go wrong? How did its education system foster an environment so detrimental to our personalities and formative years? And what, can Newfoundland do better? This is Growing Up Gay in Newfoundland. A series that highlights the struggles of gay youth in Newfoundland during the millennium.

Christopher recants his experience growing up in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, during the 2000s and being the “usual closet case” until his late teen years. While at school, the relentless teasing and name-calling left lasting effects in some ways he still feels today. “I can still feel that apprehension when meeting new people. Especially around straight guys, I always assume they’re thinking a certain way about me or about to say the other “F” word. I know it sounds crazy, but I pay attention to how I’m walking, my posture, or how people look at me. You spend so long in this climate that for no reason is so obsessed with singling you out based on sexuality that you try your best to dissociate or to act in ways which you perceive will make you look straight.”