Chapter 39

I took a bite of my burger. I wasn’t going to let Alan’s opinion ruin my afternoon. Somehow it didn’t even bother me. It wasn’t as if I didn’t know there were plenty of people out there who shared his views.

I smiled as Greg cocked his head toward where Alan sat off by himself and gave voice to the thought that had run through my mind yesterday on the airplane. “If nothing else, at least people saying stuff like that are figuring out they’re now the ones that should hide their beliefs in a closet, rather than LGBTpeople being forced into one.”

“He’s a product of his surroundings,” Ben said. “The buddies he hangs with are like that. I imagine he was surprised at the push-back.”

“Well, now he knows.” Sonia pursed her lips. “I’ve got a cousin who’s transgender, and she’s one of the sweetest people you could ever meet.”

“One of my best friends at school is lesbian,” Caryn said. “Not many people know, though. She’s afraid to come out.”