The Impact of The X-Men On My Life

[GeneTitan]

My biggest fear in 8th grade was anybody finding out I was gay. It was 1987 and there was absolutely no positive talk, or spaces, for Queer kids. In addition to being gay, I was tall, awkward, had horrible acne and had no friends. I spent my time alone drawing and reading comic books.

I had severe anxiety and my stomach would be in knots riding the bus to school. I hated 8th grade and what I feared my life would become if anyone found out I was gay. One day I walked past a newsstand and saw an issue of "Uncanny X-Men" on the spinner rack. It was issue #227 with the Outback team all flying. I'd never seen this heroes, so I picked up the issue and I've been a fan ever since.

That was 36 years ago. I spent most of my career as a public school teacher, but this year I started a new role as a High School Assistant Principal. Last week a student was in the hallway having a meltdown. We have a good relationship, so I asked her to step into my office. She was crying and telling me how hard it was for her to be gay in our school. I let her vent and she just sat in my office and cried. Her girlfriend joined us and they both were really upset. As the administrator, I knew I had the power to address the issue school-wide, but I knew she needed something more.

As we were talking, I told her I was gay and how I had to learn to navigate predominantly "straight spaces." She stopped crying, looked up at me, eyes wide and said, "You're gay." I said, "Hell yeah, I'm gay." A smile stretched across her face and she said, "You saying that just makes me feel so much better."

As corny as it sounds, I felt like I could've just as easily been saying, "I'm a mutant." 36 years ago, when I started reading The X-Books, it was clear to me that "mutant" meant more than super powers. I identified with it because I was gay and The X-Men have honestly been the thing to get me through the tough times in my life.

So, the impact the X-Men has made on my life is that I have worked in schools and created spaces for those who feel left out and marginalized by society. My favorite comic book of all time is "The New Mutants." I loved that original run, especially when Magneto was Headmaster. Sometimes I sit in my office and think, "Wow, I spent my teenage years reading comic books about mutant kids in a school and now I have the ability to support all types of kids as a high school assistant principal."

Anyway, just felt the need to write this in this space. I hope everyone is well and making space for anyone who's different.

Mutant and Proud,
GeneTitan!

[JB]

My biggest fear in 8th grade was anybody finding out I was gay. It was 1987 and there was absolutely no positive talk, or spaces, for Queer kids. In addition to being gay, I was tall, awkward, had horrible acne and had no friends. I spent my time alone drawing and reading comic books.

I had severe anxiety and my stomach would be in knots riding the bus to school. I hated 8th grade and what I feared my life would become if anyone found out I was gay. One day I walked past a newsstand and saw an issue of "Uncanny X-Men" on the spinner rack. It was issue #227 with the Outback team all flying. I'd never seen this heroes, so I picked up the issue and I've been a fan ever since.

That was 36 years ago. I spent most of my career as a public school teacher, but this year I started a new role as a High School Assistant Principal. Last week a student was in the hallway having a meltdown. We have a good relationship, so I asked her to step into my office. She was crying and telling me how hard it was for her to be gay in our school. I let her vent and she just sat in my office and cried. Her girlfriend joined us and they both were really upset. As the administrator, I knew I had the power to address the issue school-wide, but I knew she needed something more.

As we were talking, I told her I was gay and how I had to learn to navigate predominantly "straight spaces." She stopped crying, looked up at me, eyes wide and said, "You're gay." I said, "Hell yeah, I'm gay." A smile stretched across her face and she said, "You saying that just makes me feel so much better."

As corny as it sounds, I felt like I could've just as easily been saying, "I'm a mutant." 36 years ago, when I started reading The X-Books, it was clear to me that "mutant" meant more than super powers. I identified with it because I was gay and The X-Men have honestly been the thing to get me through the tough times in my life.

So, the impact the X-Men has made on my life is that I have worked in schools and created spaces for those who feel left out and marginalized by society. My favorite comic book of all time is "The New Mutants." I loved that original run, especially when Magneto was Headmaster. Sometimes I sit in my office and think, "Wow, I spent my teenage years reading comic books about mutant kids in a school and now I have the ability to support all types of kids as a high school assistant principal."

Anyway, just felt the need to write this in this space. I hope everyone is well and making space for anyone who's different.

Mutant and Proud,
GeneTitan!

GeneTitan, your post really touched my heart. First of all congratulations to you on your new role as Assistant Principal. I too found the X-Men right around that time and was navigating being gay while in school, so I appreciate you sharing this story. It's beautiful that you were able to assist the student and reach her heart by opening your own to her. That kind of compassion is such a gift and I know you made a big impact on her life last week.

These mutants have been with us for a long time and I'm going to take some time to reflect on how they've impacted my life. Thank you for the inspiration.

[GeneTitan]

GeneTitan, your post really touched my heart. First of all congratulations to you on your new role as Assistant Principal. I too found the X-Men right around that time and was navigating being gay while in school, so I appreciate you sharing this story. It's beautiful that you were able to assist the student and reach her heart by opening your own to her. That kind of compassion is such a gift and I know you made a big impact on her life last week.

These mutants have been with us for a long time and I'm going to take some time to reflect on how they've impacted my life. Thank you for the inspiration.

Thank you so much!

[charliehustle415]

My biggest fear in 8th grade was anybody finding out I was gay. It was 1987 and there was absolutely no positive talk, or spaces, for Queer kids. In addition to being gay, I was tall, awkward, had horrible acne and had no friends. I spent my time alone drawing and reading comic books.

I had severe anxiety and my stomach would be in knots riding the bus to school. I hated 8th grade and what I feared my life would become if anyone found out I was gay. One day I walked past a newsstand and saw an issue of "Uncanny X-Men" on the spinner rack. It was issue #227 with the Outback team all flying. I'd never seen this heroes, so I picked up the issue and I've been a fan ever since.

That was 36 years ago. I spent most of my career as a public school teacher, but this year I started a new role as a High School Assistant Principal. Last week a student was in the hallway having a meltdown. We have a good relationship, so I asked her to step into my office. She was crying and telling me how hard it was for her to be gay in our school. I let her vent and she just sat in my office and cried. Her girlfriend joined us and they both were really upset. As the administrator, I knew I had the power to address the issue school-wide, but I knew she needed something more.

As we were talking, I told her I was gay and how I had to learn to navigate predominantly "straight spaces." She stopped crying, looked up at me, eyes wide and said, "You're gay." I said, "Hell yeah, I'm gay." A smile stretched across her face and she said, "You saying that just makes me feel so much better."

As corny as it sounds, I felt like I could've just as easily been saying, "I'm a mutant." 36 years ago, when I started reading The X-Books, it was clear to me that "mutant" meant more than super powers. I identified with it because I was gay and The X-Men have honestly been the thing to get me through the tough times in my life.

So, the impact the X-Men has made on my life is that I have worked in schools and created spaces for those who feel left out and marginalized by society. My favorite comic book of all time is "The New Mutants." I loved that original run, especially when Magneto was Headmaster. Sometimes I sit in my office and think, "Wow, I spent my teenage years reading comic books about mutant kids in a school and now I have the ability to support all types of kids as a high school assistant principal."

Anyway, just felt the need to write this in this space. I hope everyone is well and making space for anyone who's different.

Mutant and Proud,
GeneTitan!

this is why I LOVE superhero comics.

cynics be damned, I will forever love superheroes because they help in the real world; which (in the words of the great Grant Morrison) makes. "them more real than us."

GeneTitan, thanks for sharing and know you ain't the only Mutant in the world bub!

[Su_Whisterfield]

Thank you for posting this, GeneTitan.

I was bullied all through school for being fat, wearing glasses, being too smart, too queer, too different. And I was different.
I’ve grown into my eccentricity; for example, no one bats an eye at a 59 year to have ‘The Importance of Being Ernest’ as a favourite play, it’s weird when you are 11*.

Nightcrawler taught me to lean into my unique self, not to fight it.
6E4FF289-15C9-48C9-9CB2-093AD9B8B89A.jpg
“Do you know what you look like?”
“Yes, isn’t is wonderful!”

No one has bullied me for decades, but I stand up for others at every opportunity.

*I was sulking because I wanted to be Lady Bracknell, but the teacher pegged me, correctly, as Miss Prism. When we came to that line, the girl reading Bracknell read it just flat, and I piped up with a Dame Edith Evans impersonation, “A HANDBAG?!”. The teacher and I laughed, the rest of the class just looked at me and I got a lathering in the playground after the class. This was 1974. I still remember.

[Alex_Of_X]

My biggest fear in 8th grade was anybody finding out I was gay. It was 1987 and there was absolutely no positive talk, or spaces, for Queer kids. In addition to being gay, I was tall, awkward, had horrible acne and had no friends. I spent my time alone drawing and reading comic books.

I had severe anxiety and my stomach would be in knots riding the bus to school. I hated 8th grade and what I feared my life would become if anyone found out I was gay. One day I walked past a newsstand and saw an issue of "Uncanny X-Men" on the spinner rack. It was issue #227 with the Outback team all flying. I'd never seen this heroes, so I picked up the issue and I've been a fan ever since.

That was 36 years ago. I spent most of my career as a public school teacher, but this year I started a new role as a High School Assistant Principal. Last week a student was in the hallway having a meltdown. We have a good relationship, so I asked her to step into my office. She was crying and telling me how hard it was for her to be gay in our school. I let her vent and she just sat in my office and cried. Her girlfriend joined us and they both were really upset. As the administrator, I knew I had the power to address the issue school-wide, but I knew she needed something more.

As we were talking, I told her I was gay and how I had to learn to navigate predominantly "straight spaces." She stopped crying, looked up at me, eyes wide and said, "You're gay." I said, "Hell yeah, I'm gay." A smile stretched across her face and she said, "You saying that just makes me feel so much better."

As corny as it sounds, I felt like I could've just as easily been saying, "I'm a mutant." 36 years ago, when I started reading The X-Books, it was clear to me that "mutant" meant more than super powers. I identified with it because I was gay and The X-Men have honestly been the thing to get me through the tough times in my life.

So, the impact the X-Men has made on my life is that I have worked in schools and created spaces for those who feel left out and marginalized by society. My favorite comic book of all time is "The New Mutants." I loved that original run, especially when Magneto was Headmaster. Sometimes I sit in my office and think, "Wow, I spent my teenage years reading comic books about mutant kids in a school and now I have the ability to support all types of kids as a high school assistant principal."

Anyway, just felt the need to write this in this space. I hope everyone is well and making space for anyone who's different.

Mutant and Proud,
GeneTitan!

Hell yea, dude! You rock! And thank you so much for sharing--I see my own kid struggles reflected plainly in yours.

To me, you're more of a hero than the Logans and the Scotts. And yes, more so than even the Hellions :P

[Uncanny X-Man]

My biggest fear in 8th grade was anybody finding out I was gay. It was 1987 and there was absolutely no positive talk, or spaces, for Queer kids. In addition to being gay, I was tall, awkward, had horrible acne and had no friends. I spent my time alone drawing and reading comic books.

I had severe anxiety and my stomach would be in knots riding the bus to school. I hated 8th grade and what I feared my life would become if anyone found out I was gay. One day I walked past a newsstand and saw an issue of "Uncanny X-Men" on the spinner rack. It was issue #227 with the Outback team all flying. I'd never seen this heroes, so I picked up the issue and I've been a fan ever since.

That was 36 years ago. I spent most of my career as a public school teacher, but this year I started a new role as a High School Assistant Principal. Last week a student was in the hallway having a meltdown. We have a good relationship, so I asked her to step into my office. She was crying and telling me how hard it was for her to be gay in our school. I let her vent and she just sat in my office and cried. Her girlfriend joined us and they both were really upset. As the administrator, I knew I had the power to address the issue school-wide, but I knew she needed something more.

As we were talking, I told her I was gay and how I had to learn to navigate predominantly "straight spaces." She stopped crying, looked up at me, eyes wide and said, "You're gay." I said, "Hell yeah, I'm gay." A smile stretched across her face and she said, "You saying that just makes me feel so much better."

As corny as it sounds, I felt like I could've just as easily been saying, "I'm a mutant." 36 years ago, when I started reading The X-Books, it was clear to me that "mutant" meant more than super powers. I identified with it because I was gay and The X-Men have honestly been the thing to get me through the tough times in my life.

So, the impact the X-Men has made on my life is that I have worked in schools and created spaces for those who feel left out and marginalized by society. My favorite comic book of all time is "The New Mutants." I loved that original run, especially when Magneto was Headmaster. Sometimes I sit in my office and think, "Wow, I spent my teenage years reading comic books about mutant kids in a school and now I have the ability to support all types of kids as a high school assistant principal."

Anyway, just felt the need to write this in this space. I hope everyone is well and making space for anyone who's different.

Mutant and Proud,
GeneTitan!

I love this, love hearing the positive impact that the X-Men had on your life and I'm happy you decided to share it with us!

[Rift]

Thanks for sharing this. This was beautiful, and I'm so glsd these kids have someone like you to look out for them. We need more people like you in this world

[Arachne]

I read this last night, but I was too exhausted to reply. I confess, I shed a couple of tears. I'm so glad you were there for those girls and the X-Men and New Mutants comics were there for you.

It got me thinking about why I related to those comics so much. I didn't know it until a few years ago, but I'm neurodivergent. Now I think that's why I was attracted to these books. I was always a bit of an outsider like the mutants. Like you, I preferred the New Mutants, especially Claremont's run, probably because they felt a bit more like real teens than superheroes.

[GeneTitan]

Thanks, everyone!

[jwatson]

My biggest fear in 8th grade was anybody finding out I was gay. It was 1987 and there was absolutely no positive talk, or spaces, for Queer kids. In addition to being gay, I was tall, awkward, had horrible acne and had no friends. I spent my time alone drawing and reading comic books.

I had severe anxiety and my stomach would be in knots riding the bus to school. I hated 8th grade and what I feared my life would become if anyone found out I was gay. One day I walked past a newsstand and saw an issue of "Uncanny X-Men" on the spinner rack. It was issue #227 with the Outback team all flying. I'd never seen this heroes, so I picked up the issue and I've been a fan ever since.

That was 36 years ago. I spent most of my career as a public school teacher, but this year I started a new role as a High School Assistant Principal. Last week a student was in the hallway having a meltdown. We have a good relationship, so I asked her to step into my office. She was crying and telling me how hard it was for her to be gay in our school. I let her vent and she just sat in my office and cried. Her girlfriend joined us and they both were really upset. As the administrator, I knew I had the power to address the issue school-wide, but I knew she needed something more.

As we were talking, I told her I was gay and how I had to learn to navigate predominantly "straight spaces." She stopped crying, looked up at me, eyes wide and said, "You're gay." I said, "Hell yeah, I'm gay." A smile stretched across her face and she said, "You saying that just makes me feel so much better."

As corny as it sounds, I felt like I could've just as easily been saying, "I'm a mutant." 36 years ago, when I started reading The X-Books, it was clear to me that "mutant" meant more than super powers. I identified with it because I was gay and The X-Men have honestly been the thing to get me through the tough times in my life.

So, the impact the X-Men has made on my life is that I have worked in schools and created spaces for those who feel left out and marginalized by society. My favorite comic book of all time is "The New Mutants." I loved that original run, especially when Magneto was Headmaster. Sometimes I sit in my office and think, "Wow, I spent my teenage years reading comic books about mutant kids in a school and now I have the ability to support all types of kids as a high school assistant principal."

Anyway, just felt the need to write this in this space. I hope everyone is well and making space for anyone who's different.

Mutant and Proud,
GeneTitan!

Sorry you ever had to feel that way but great that that experience and those feelings allow you to help others weather such difficult personal storms. And congrats on being in place where that hurt can be used to heal. God bless.

[davetvs]

What a beautiful post! One of my favorite things about this franchise is the amount of joy and empowerment it brings to marginalized people, especially kids and teenagers having a tough time. It was very important to me for the same reasons, "fighting for a world that hates and fears them" always resonated with me and reminded me to try to be a good person who looked out for others, no matter how much homophobia and racism I experienced.