article_snippet: I first heard the term "gay" in the second grade, long after I had my first "girlfriend" and had proudly written "a penis" at the top of my Christmas list.
article_snippet: Not until after I learned that there was such a thing as sexuality and homosexuality
article_snippet: It wasn't until I learned that there were people out there
article_snippet: I was not gay -- but try to explain that to someone without his or her eyes glazing over.
article_snippet: Thankfully, I grew up in a household that taught me that I could love anybody I wanted to
article_snippet: Anyone can love anyone and there is nothing wrong with that.
article_snippet: That said, I knew being gay wasn't a bad thing, but I also knew it didn't describe me.
highlights_snippet: I knew being gay wasn't a bad thing, but I also knew it didn't describe me," Avery says .
  