An original poem exploring stigma and stereotypes aimed at the <scp>LGBTQ</scp> + community

I originally wrote this poem for an LGBTQ+ History Month event at the University of Hull.I knew I wanted to write a poem about my experience and started with the title, the rest just flowed out of me.I tiptoed across an array of emotions writing the poem; anger, sadness, and shame to name but a few.But those were the feelings I had known; they weren't what I was feeling in the present.I felt proud.Proud to share my experience.Proud to think differently to those whose comments inspired the poem.Proud to be a gay man.School was a bitter-sweet experience for me.On the one hand, it was a nightmare, I didn't fit in and the bullies knew how to remind me of that.But school was also where I discovered drama and creative writing.These classes gave me the freedom to express myself in a creative way that meant I