When Straight is the Default Setting

Abstract

Coming out was never something I pictured myself having to do. Did I plan on being in the closet my entire life? Not exactly. I hardly had a clue that I was gay until I was eighteen. My friends and family sometimes struggle to understand that I am “suddenly” gay, after having dated boys since I was a freshman in high school. Their common misunderstanding is one of many that result from living in a heteronormative culture. [excerpt