[W]hen I graduated high school in the spring of 2009, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Part of me wanted to major in history and become a teacher, like my mother. Another part wanted to go off and become a musician like my father. However, the future had plans for me in the field of anthropology.
Before I continue, I need to set the record straight. I am a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white male. I do not know discrimination based on my ethnicity. I am instead judged on what conservative religious groups would deem a “life choice.”
It is terrifying growing up as a homosexual in a red state like Arizona. Usually when someone tries to express their sexual identity, they do it to someone they love outside of their immediate family. When I tried to come out to my best friend my junior year of high school, he beat the living hell out of me and told me to “go wear dresses and make-up like all the other ****ots.”
It was in this act that I decided to focus my education in finding an end to the discrimination of gays. I am currently attending the University of Arizona pursuing a bachelor’s of science in anthropology with an emphasis in human biology to search for answers as to why homosexuality exists from a cultural and biological perspective. I hope to find some sort of hard evidence to support the LGBTQIA+ creed that homosexuality is NOT a choice, and use that knowledge as a weapon against religious organizations that deem LGBTQIA+ peoples as “sinful” and “unnatural.”
Earning my degree is fundamental to my ability to hold my ground against critics. I hope to pursue my master’s degree right out of my undergraduate program, and hopefully not stop until I’ve earned a PhD. I may not be the most overtly diverse individual, but I believe that with my research I can lead an army in the war against hate.
DiversityJobs.com’s scholarship program is proud to announce Luke Nelson as one of the finalists for its December 2012 application deadline. Vote for his essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.