Power couples
by Livia Brown
Teen Columnist
Every school, social group, etc. has its ‘power couple.’ You know, those two that just emulate a perfect relationship, described online “as individually awesome and fun to be around as they are when they are together.” Look into any group of people and there’s usually one to be found. Well the East High’s Gay Straight Alliance is no exception to that, and it only becomes more obvious in February.
Cameron and Timothy are both sophomores. After having attended nearly every GSA meeting for two years now, they’ve both become well known regulars of the club. I spoke with the two of them about their relationship, and their responses only upped the “aw” factor.
They met around a year ago, well actually, according to Cameron it’s more like “a year, three months, and two weeks,” and they started dating soon after. They hit it off in one of the cheesiest, albeit adorable, settings a high school couple could meet at: set up by friends at their freshman homecoming.
But alas, as seems to nearly always be the case in same sex relationships, not everyone approves. It’s hard dealing with family in a high school same-sex relationship. In fact, it’s hard dealing with family at all for a high school couple. With one family it’s fine, and they’re treated “as any other couple,” but with the other, they “can't show affection for each other and to be on the safe side not talk about anything about the LGBT+ community.”
It’s kind of like when you don’t want to curse around your grandparents, so you spend the whole time biting your tongue and feeling slightly uncomfortable. Except it’s not your word choice, it’s the person you’re in a committed relationship with who you care for deeply. And instead of cursing it’s mentioning the issues you care about. And instead of spending a few hours with grandma, it’s spending significant amounts of time keeping something important to you away from the people you’re supposed to be closest to.
On second thought it’s really not anything like my analogy, it’s much worse.
Then again, I can’t write this like some tragic love story, after all, they’re a happy couple, not victims. In fact, I was surprised when I asked them about catching any flak from people outside of home life, and I got a much more positive response than I imagined. At school, they’re relationship is much more public, and they’re not doing anything to hide it. I couldn’t have been prouder of East High than when Cameron said that “at school it's all positive attention that I've heard,” although outside of the high school, he’s gotten mixed feelings from other people, where he occasionally hears rude or negative comments.
Maybe it’s the Valentine’s Day feeling in the air, but I can’t help but feel that same optimism for future generations. While news headlines keep blathering on about how millennials are too anti-social, and the world’s getting worse, it’s kids that are becoming more and more tolerant and progressive, that are bringing positive changes in attitude and society to our world.
But this article isn’t about my rant on millennial hate. This article is about one couple.
Cameron, when asked individually about Tim, said he loves his “playful and caring personality, his artwork and how he would help with mine.” He added affectionately that “one major bonus is his blue eyes and blonde hair.”
When I asked Timothy his favorite thing about Cameron, he teasingly mentioned Cameron’s pets, but added that “it's great how he is always willing to hold my hand or be affectionate,” and that he loves how gentle his personality is. As for advice for other young LGBT couples, Timothy said “don't worry about who is accepting of your relationship or not. You are the only two in the relationship and no one else's opinions should matter!”
Yes, every group has a power couple, but not everyone has one so inspiring for the people they’re around. I couldn’t be more thankful to have them both in GSA, continuing to give hope in humanity for all the rest of us.
The Gayly – February 12, 2016 @ 11:50 a.m.