February
      18,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      her
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Gay
      in
      Charlottetown:
      Two
      People
      Speak
      out
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lesbian
      in
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Iam
      a
      lesbian.
      |
      live
      on
      P.E.I.
      |
     
     
      take
      alot
      of
      pride
      in
      both
      yet
      cannot
      do
      so
     
     
      simultaneously.
      I’ve
      lived
      on
      P.E.I.
     
     
      since
      I
      was
      a
      year
      old
      and
      am
      only
      now
     
     
      realizing
      the
      extent
      of
      closemindedness
     
     
      I’ve
      been
      brought
      up
      around.
      Fortu-
     
     
      nately
      I
      have
      not
      succumbed
      to
      the
     
     
      ignorance
      but
      that
      of
      others
      greatly
     
     
      affects
      my
      life.
      It
      gets
      very
      frustrating
     
     
      at
      times
      but
      eventually
      I
      will
      venture
      off
     
     
      to
      a
      big
      city
      like
      so
      many
      others
      where
     
     
      the
      anonymity
      will
      let
      me
      be
      open
      about
     
     
      my
      sexuality.
      Itis
      not
      only
      the
      attitudes
     
     
      of
      islanders
      that
      drive
      gays
      and
      lesbians
     
     
      off
      island
      though.
      Gay
      and
      lesbian
      life
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
                 
     
     
           
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sons
      for
      the
      island’s
     
     
      closedmindedness.
      Perhaps
      the
      most
     
     
      prevalent,
      in
      my
      case
      at
      least,
      is
      the
     
     
      obliviousness
      people
      have
      to
      homo-
     
     
      sexuality.
      They
      have
      no
      idea
      what
     
     
      goes
      on
      and
      how
      many
      there
      are
      of
     
     
      us
      around.
      There
      are
      no
      gay
      bars,
     
     
      establishments,
      or
      organizations,
      that
     
     
      would
      make
      the
      public
      aware
      that
     
     
      there
      is
      somewhat
      of
      a
      gay
      commu-
     
     
      nity.
      I’ve
      been
      to
      other
      cities
      in
      the
     
     
      Maritimes
      as
      well
      as
      Montreal
      and
     
     
      Toronto,
      all
      of
      which
      have
      bars,
     
     
      stores,
      clubs,
      groups,
      bookstores,
      etc.
     
     
      The
      bigger
      cities
      often
      have
      a
      sec-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sw
      ey,
      a
     
     
      ok
     
     
      NY
     
     
      MMY
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ys
     
     
      Uy
      ;
      —_——_
      :
      (or
      lack
      thereof)
      can
      get
      very
      dreary
      at
      _
      tion
      of
      town
      that
      is
      predominantly
     
     
      .
      Y
      y
      beucscape
      mi
      times.
      The
      sad
      part
      of
      the
      whole
      issue
      gay.
      This
      openness
      shows
      that
      there
     
     
      Yj
      A
      is
      that
      it
      doesn’t
      seem
      to
      be
      improving.
      is
      not
      a
      thing
      different
      about
      being
     
     
      y
      It’s
      been
      around
      six
      months
      since
      gay,
      nothing
      to
      keep
      hidden
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      came
      out
      to
      myself
      and
      my
      close
     
     
      friends(who
      are
      homosexual
      and
      het-
     
     
      erosexual).
      Coming
      out
      has
      been
      ex-
     
     
      tremely
      positive
      for
      me
      thus
      far.
      My
     
     
      friends
      are
      very
      accepting
      and
      support-
     
     
      ive
      which
      means
      the
      world
      to
      me.
      That
     
     
      is
      as
      far
      as
      I’ve
      gone
      though.
     
    

    
     
      The
      next
      step
      would
      be
      to
      tell
      my
     
    
   
   
    
     
      those
      leading
      a
      heterosexual
      life-
     
     
      style.
     
    

    
     
      Sometimes
      I
      am
      lead
      to
      think
     
     
      that
      we
      are
      caught
      up
      in
      a
      vicious
     
     
      circle
      on
      P.E.J.
      People
      are
      very
     
     
      closedminded
      therefore
      making
      it
     
     
      hard
      for
      homosexuals
      to
      be
      open.
     
     
      On
      the
      other
      hand
      the
      ignorance
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      eh]
      —_
     
     
      ry
      Poe
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      family.
      This
      many
     
     
      is
      where
      I
      heterosexuals
     
     
      run
      into
      is
      due
      to
     
     
      problems.
      them
      not
      be-
     
     
      My
      family
      ing
      exposed
     
     
      are
      from
      to
      homo-
     
     
      here
      and
      sexuals.
     
     
      many
      of
      Where
      will
      it
     
     
      them
      are
      end.
     
    

    
     
      very
      igno-
      Re
      -
     
     
      rant.
      I’ve
      gardless
      of
     
     
      realized
      alot
      1
      the
      covering
     
     
      of
      this
      up
      and
      the
     
     
      seems
      to
      CUP
      GRAPHIC
      James
      Mejia,
      The
      Link
      —_
      lack
      of
      les-
     
     
      come
      down
      bian
      lifel
      am
     
    
   
   
    
     
      happy
      being
      whol
      am.
      Keep
      in
      mind
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      religion.
      The
      island
      has
      a
      strong
     
     
      that
      notall
      islanders
      are
      homophobic.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      religious
      background
      and
      it
      is
      evident
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ALLSAANALEREAARESERRERORARSEEE
      LS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      KRRALECEAACLAS
      ELAR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      when
      it
      comes
      to
      homosexuality.
      The
     
     
      Bible
      describes
      it
      as
      an
      abomination.
     
     
      Does
      the
      Bible
      not
      also
      teach
      us
      to
      love
     
     
      and
      acceptall?
      The
      hypocrisy
      sickens
     
     
      me.
      Because
      of
      these
      beliefs
      gays
      and
     
     
      lesbians
      are
      discriminated
      and
      hatred
     
     
      circulated.
      I
      have
      met
      so
      many
      won-
     
     
      derful
      people
      in
      the
      gay
      community,
      I
     
     
      don’t
      understand
      how
      they
      could
      be
     
     
      unaccepted
      because
      of
      their
      sexuality.
     
     
      Of
      course
      there
      are
      other
      rea-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I’ve
      met
      alot
      of
      great
      people
      who
      are
     
     
      gay
      friendly,
      it’s
      just
      too
      bad
      every-
     
     
      one
      couldn’t
      be
      comfortable.
      It
      cer-
     
     
      tainly
      would
      make
      life
      for
      us
      homo-
     
     
      sexuals.
      There
      really
      is
      nothing
      to
      be
     
     
      afraid
      of,
      we
      don’t
      bite.
      I
      once
      came
     
     
      across
      this
      quote
      on
      the
      net:
      “Hetero-
     
     
      sexuality
      is
      not
      normal,
      just
      com-
     
     
      mon.”
      Think
      About
      It.