Growing up gay in Appalachia [View all]

The Parthenon (Marshall University)
Huntington, WV
Growing up gay in Appalachia
By Brianna Paxton
On October 7, 2014

"I'm here to tell you growing up gay in Appalachia is one thing; growing up gay and a big queen in Appalachia is something totally different,” performer Ilene Over said. "You catch enough shit for being gay."

Ilene Over performed a show to the community Tuesday through vignettes about her experience growing up as a gay person in Appalachia to celebrate National Coming Out Day.

She opened her show with a quote from Harvey Milk, an openly gay, elected U.S. politician from the 1970’s.

"Every person must come out, as difficult as it is you must tell your immediate family, you must tell your relatives, you must tell your friends, if indeed they are your friends,” Milk said. “You must tell the people you work with, you must tell the people in the stores you shop in. Once they realize that we are indeed their children, that we are indeed everywhere, every myth, and every lie, ever innuendo will be destroyed once and for all. Once you do you will feel much better."....

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