Spencer’s Point of View

“Hi I’m Spencer Carlin and I’m a seventeen-year-old high school senior. I love cheerleading and I’m going steady with my boyfriend Aiden. He’s a great guy and a great basketball player! He’s not so great at kissing. He uses way too much tongue. It’s not enjoyable at all. I always imagined kissing my first boyfriend was going to be magical; like I’d close my eyes and get lost in the moment never wanting it to end , but with Aiden, my eyes are always open, and while he’s busy nearly suffocating me with his tongue, I’m waiting for it to be over. Sometimes when I’m kissing him I start thinking of the other girls on the squad, but I think that’s perfectly normal.

Intervention

 My Mom and friends don’t see it that way though. Aiden drove me home from school one day; we walked in the house, and bam! I’m ambushed with a surprise intervention by them and this “ex-gay” guy named Mike from this place called True Directions. Can you believe it? They think that just because I’m a vegetarian, happen to like Melissa Etheridge, have pictures of girls in my locker, have “sexual even vaginal motifs in artwork and decorating” in my room whatever that means, and yes because I don’t like kissing Aiden, that means I’m a lesbian. Do you know how it feels to have your mother call you a lesbian? How could she think that about her own daughter?”

Me- I can’t believe this.

Mike-Denial is a normal part of the healing Process that we’ll explore at True Directions.

Me-Healing?

Paula (My Mom)-Like rehab honey. Uh…Homosexuals Anonymous…It’s only for a few months.

Me-There’s no way I’m going!  

Arriving outside of True Directions

“We’re in the car now, heading to True Directions. I don’t want to go, but my mom has decided it doesn’t matter what I want. I’m not eighteen so I don’t get to make my own decisions.

We’ve arrived at True Directions. Mom’s already out of the car…”

Mom-Let’s go. Now!

“I’m out of the car now. The founder, Mary Brown and her son Rock have come to greet us. Mary has short blonde hair and is wearing a bright pink suit top with matching skirt. She seams very old fashioned Rock on the other hand has short dark hair and is wearing a tank top and jean shorts. They seem to be nothing alike in fact I think Rock might be a…a…well, you know… ”