From the outside, Michael Martin was the model of a flourishing high school student — the all-state soccer goalie for Musselman High School in West Virginia also played on the school’s football, tennis and swim teams. He’s thoughtful, articulate and optimistic. He had a secret, though: He’s gay. But it wouldn’t stay a secret for long.
And it’s how he decided to come out that initially got our attention. It just screams feel-good tearjerker, and even comes complete with a Taylor Swift soundtrack. How very now.
Michael had begun to see a boy from another school, Jem, and when Jem’s homecoming dance came around (and he happened to be the homecoming king), the two worked it out so they could both be there. Michael’s “date” was another girl from Jem’s school (even high school kids have beards), but as the dance progressed, the two boys got braver.
It wasn’t until the final song, though — Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” — that Michael and Jem walked on to the dance floor as an excited duo and slow jammed in each other’s arms.
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Well once you have a taste of that freedom, there’s no going back. Later that night Michael asked Jem to be his boyfriend, and when Michael’s homecoming dance came up, there was only one option.
This time, though, the two danced all night, and for most of Michael’s classmates, it was the first time they knew he was gay.
“It was the slow dance that I most remember that night at the school cafeteria — “Remember When” by Alan Jackson. It was the best night ever. Jem and I got asked a lot if we were together and we said yes. “That is so cute!” some girls said. It made us felt accepted.”
Word quickly spread around school, and despite some chatter of “faggot” going around, Michael was impressed by how many people stuck up for him.
The same went for his teammates, and now Michael is not only a promising athlete, thoughtful, articulate and optimistic, he’s also open about who he is. Oh, and finally happy.
“For me to be happy, I needed to come out. I didn’t want to hide how I really was any more. I didn’t want to live every day with a secret hanging over my head. I told my team before my own parents. My family was not accepting at first but is starting to come around and support me. I just had to keep telling them that I can’t change who I am and that I am the same teenager that I was before.”
via OutSports
jwtraveler
We hear so many stories of bullying, violence and suicide among gay teens. It really warms my heart to know that more and more gay teens are feeling comfortable coming out in high school AND getting support from their classmates. Progress is slow, but it’s inevitable.
ddean
That’s such a sweet love story. Makes me so happy for them 🙂
crowebobby
Reminiscent of the “Beautiful Thing” dance scene. Handsome boy . . . and the friend’s not exactly chopped liver, either. These positive coming out stories are all moving, but as someone who went to school in the 40’s and 50’s they are almost impossible for me to visualize as real happenings. On the other hand, I never experienced or witnessed any of the vicious bullying that everyone on here writes about: guys being pushed into lockers; lunch money being taken away; the suicidal longing to the “popular” clique. “Fags” were looked down on and the word “queer” was tossed around, but the only two boys in the school who were outright screamers and were called “Alice” and “Mary” because they refused to undressed in front of the other guys for gym class were never physically abused as far as I know. Maybe I missed all this because I was big and funny and had a quick tongue (you know what I mean) and didn’t give a shit about popularity . . . and dropped out toward the end of the 10th grade to go to New York with dreams of becoming a great tap dancer. I don’t know. I don’t doubt any of the horror stories I read here; I just wonder how I missed all that, than God. I went to Everett High in Everett, MA, in case anyone wonders or has as different memory of that school.
crowebobby
@crowebobby: I REALLY have to proof read more carefully!
Garrett
OMG, and in West Virginia! That’s amazing!! I just had to explain to a coworker why I was smiling and crying at the same time. YAY!!!
twinktwice
Lovely story and an insaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanely cute boy. 🙂
AtticusBennett
wonderful! i went to prom with three other queer kids, and even though the guy i slow-danced with wasn’t my boyfriend, it was an amazing thing: there we were, two guys together and two girls together, slow-dancing at our prom surrounded by our peers.
Arconcyyon
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Grapenutz1
One of the best heartwarming stories yet ! Blessings on each of these brave souls for being courageous enough to be themselves at an early enough age to allow for happiness in the future. I didn’t come out until after I married at the age of 31. Hats off to any individual this forthcoming !
Curty
Finally a feel good love story without seedy sex acts being the focus or nasty snarky comments. Well done
RevJames
@crowebobby: Don’t worry I am sure that everything here on Queerty get thoroughly poof read.
jason smeds
Do they still have proms and slow dancing, do they? I thought these things went out with the dinosaur.
Ladbrook
Heartwarming and much love to both of you!
When I was in HS (late 70’s) a member of our homecoming court was a baseball player who was secretly dating another baseball player. I knew because I’d seen them kissing each other in the boys bathroom once. I’m just sitting here thinking that if they’d danced together or kissed at our prom, they’d have been arrested, literally. God, how far we’ve come! Just amazing.
Ladbrook
@jason smeds: fuck off. This is not a thread for your stupid hatred.
sfbeast
What a nice story. And how brave of both of them. Although I’m wondering was the girl who was the date in on it? Or was she kind of left all alone?
OhioMan
My how times have changed…I have one word….Amazing!
jason smeds
I’m all for men being able to be together in public. In fact, I’m at the forefront of activism encouraging men of all sexualities to be unashamed of touching each other in public.
However, I won’t tolerate a couple of queens slow-dancing to Taylor Swift. For Pete’s sake, show some taste. Taylor is noise pollution.
Trippy
@jason smeds: The forefront? Of activism? OMG that’s hilarious. I’ve read some of your drivel. It’s hardly what I’d call gay-supportive.
Dwik27
I agree – but might I say – progress is NOT inevitbale. In our case, it is the result of a lot of hard work put in by generations of gay men and lesbians. After centuries and centuries of oppression, attitudes didn’t just suddenly change out of thin air.
Saint Law
@jason smeds: “I’m at the forefront of activism encouraging men of all sexualities to be unashamed of touching each other in public.”
I don’t know that wanking yourself off in the front row of your local porn cinema qualifies as ‘activism’.
money718
In West Virginia? Can’t imagine how much the “f” word was used. Good story.
callenstewart
Congratulations! Such a beautiful story. We need more like this.
Will L
What a cute couple. I agree with the other comments that we need more stories like this. It pulls a person down always hearing EVERY negative story and rumor. There’s usually not a thing we can do about that. But it’s so uplifting to hear success stories that give us all hope.
NoCagada
@jason smeds: What planet do you pull that written fecal material…URANUS?
NoCagada
See, Nicky Jonas…it gets better.
jwtraveler
@RevJames: Chuckle ha ha!
jwtraveler
@Dwik27: I said “inevitable”, not “effortless”.
Martin Luther King, Jr. paraphrased Theodore Parker, an abolitionist, to great effect in his famous “Where Do We Go From Here?” speech of August 1967 when he said, “The arc of the Moral Universe Is long, but It bends toward Justice”.
From the American Revolution to abolition to women’s suffrage to civil rights laws to gay marriage, and many, many other social changes in this country and around the world, we see that happening. There are bumps in the road and numerous setbacks, but I believable it IS inevitable. Wow, what put me in this optimistic mood? It’s so unlike me. Thank Michael and Jem.
Jacob23
Mike and Jem – You guys are awesome! So proud of you men for showing courage and character. I hope Robbie Rogers sees the story and gives you guys a shout out.
Harley
Lets see, Christian fundamentalist sees two young men dancing. Christian fundamentalist imagines in his head that one is giving another a blowjob. Christian fundamentalist sees two queers having sex in the middle of the gym in front of children. Christian fundamentalist calles the newspapers, alerts the local authorities, splashes it all over social media.
vive
Cute story. I just hope the female date(s) knew what they were in for – it would have been terribly unkind to them if they didn’t.
orcanyc
Congratulations to them. Very sweet story.
renly
“even high school kids have beards”- I would say especially high school kids have beards.
Maude
@Ladbrook:
What hatred? Where?
You seem to be the one with the hate.
Many schools around the country, have done away with proms because of racial controversy surrounding some of them.
Maude
@Maude:
Sorry Land brook, my post above should have been addressed to jason smeds.
Sluggo2007
@money718: I was thinking the same thing. Surprised they didn’t get lynched.
Curtispsf
@Harley: You forgot part of the story. “Christian fundamentalist sees two young men dancing. Christian fundamentalist imagines in his head that one is giving another a blowjob. Christian fundamentalist imagines in his head that he is the one who is sucking off one or BOTH of the guys…and swallowing. Christian fundamentalist taps into fundamental fear of being discovered.
Christian fundamentalist goes home to his wife and says “God, really hates fags” but it comes out sounding more like a question than a statement. Christian fundamentalist can’t get the image of a semi naked Jesus out of his head and masturbates as he’s done so many times before. Christian fundamentalist decides that the statement should be “God Hates Flags”. The End.
sesfm
I wonder if anyone will EVER pay attention to a coming-out story about someone unattractive. Somehow wouldn’t be so heartwarming, hm?
seaguy
The fact that he is hot looking, they both are probably plays a big role in the success of his coming out and the response from his fellow students.
vive
@sesfm, @seaguy, very true. That is the ugly undercurrent of this kind of reporting.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The times they are a changin………………
OutInTheOC
Back in the 80, when I danced my first day with a guy at Newport Station in Newport Beach, California….the song playing was Michael Jackson’s “Can you feel It”. I felt it that night and my world changed for the better…..
enlightenone
@NoCagada: “…What planet do you pull that written fecal material…URANUS?”
If you guys aren’t going to ignore this douche at least be accurate and witty.
Priceless. Lol!
Maleko
A little courage can be a powerful thing; brings about some very profound changes. From sitting on the front seat of the public transportation bus, to dancing with your sweetheart at the High School Prom. I graduated from H.S. in 1970, in Salt Lake City. The thought of dancing with your gay sweetheart didn’t even exist; the term ‘gay’ didn’t exist, either. Nobody I knew of was gay, nobody even talked about it. Today, gay sweethearts do dance together at H.S. Proms…I about fell over dead when I found out. Sometimes, the harder an oppressive group pushes, the oppressed people shove back even harder. The Mormons absolutely detest gay anything, other than gay apparel at Christmas. They were the initial force behind Prop 8 (thank you very much, BTW). It is an organization that exercises substantial control over the actions of their members, well members in good standing anyway. You know, this story is just too wonderful to take off on such a negative tangent. What those guys did was courageous and beautiful, an act of love, announcing to their entire Class that they were gay and, as of that dance, making that public information, no longer the secret that is such a terrible burden for every gay man to carry, until he comes out and removes that burden. My doctor used to where a big pin-on button on his white doctor’s coat; it said ‘Closets are health hazards.’ Indeed they are.
Gary_Gans
I want to congratulate them both. This took a lot of bravery, and in a state that has a long history of intolerance you both amaze me. I wish you both all the best. Just remember that love can be work, and some days may not be as magical as that night at the Prom. Just earn each other’s challenges, and take the hunger home. Many may try to interfere in your relationship. You have something so very special.
Best Wishes & Love,
Gary
Maude
Great story.
I went to my prom with a girl named Kate who was the sister of the boy I secretly was mad about. He was year behind us in school, a quiet brainy guy who you knew was going to be a great success one day…….but after I left for college, I never saw or heard from either of them again.
fur_hunter
It makes me smile and happy to know this can happen today. No way, back in the late 50s and early 60s when I was in high school. I never thought I would see same-sex marriage legal in my lifetime. Well…..the wheels of progress are moving forward, slowly, but they are moving. Regardless of what many fundamentalists may want, we gay folks are here to stay and we get stronger every day. The doors opened to big changes with Stonewall, in New York, in June of 1969.