Gay Teen Kicked Out of Home Becomes School's Co-Valedictorian

[left-of-center2012]

After a year of "conversion therapy" that attempted to turn him straight, Seth Owen was told by his parents he could either continue the counseling or move out of their home. After choosing the latter, Owen walked across his high school stage in Jacksonville, Fl., as co-valedictorian, and is currently trying to raise funds through a GoFundMe page to attend Georgetown University.

The 18-year-old’s devoutly religious parents discovered he was gay after finding a picture on his phone. Their response was to force him to attend their church, which held anti-LGBT views, while he attended counseling intended to alter his sexual orientation.

Despite being technically homeless and crashing with friends, Owen maintained at 4.16 GPA and “(walked) across the stage in a Jacksonville arena weighed down by more cords and medals to count," according to biology teacher Jane Martin, reports Towleroad.

Martin was the same teacher who started the GoFundMe campaign, and reiterates that she had a close relationship with the valedictorian. According to her message on the campaign’s page, he was ring-bearer at her wedding.

Full story at:
https://www.advocate.com/youth/2018/7/27/gay-teen-kicked-out-home-becomes-schools-co-valedictorian

[RainCaster]

1. The perfect revenge is living well

Good for him

[exboyfil]

2. I hope the parents die cold and alone

Great kid.

[dhol82]

5. +1

[Botany]

3. So he is gay. What is the problem?

I hope someday his parents grow up and are strong enough to apologize to their son so they become a a family again.

[The Polack MSgt]

6. You are a warmer hearted person than I am

I align with Exboyfil on this...


I hope they suffer. I hope that their family life is as shitty, cold and heartless as they've proven themselves to be

[GreenEyedLefty]

4. Why do parents do this to good kids?

This enrages me. I had a co-worker whose dad disowned him because he was gay. I told him if he were my son, I would be so proud. What the fuck is wrong with people?

[Initech]

21. Religion.

Religion seriously fucks with people in ways we don't even know about. This kid's parents were no doubt products of religious brainwashing.

[Ohiogal]

7. I can't imagine

not loving my kid no matter what. These parents are a couple of assholes. I wish this young man much luck, love, and success.

[tammywammy]

8. How does a valdectorian not get a full scholarship?

[sdfernando]

9. Wrong question.

This isn’t an OP about scholarships. It’s about a young kid overcoming a hateful situation. This kid will go far and I am VERY VERY proud of him scholarship or not.

[lame54]

11. Still a valid question

[sdfernando]

12. I don't agree

Seems like a veiled attack. Why not just celebrate the kids accomplishments and leave it at that?

[pnwmom]

13. Many private schools base financial aid on need, not merit. When his parents

were supporting him his need wasn't as high.

It's too bad he's set on Georgetown because there are plenty of other schools that would offer him a free ride.

[irisblue]

14. Usually financial aid is based on parents income.

If they refuse to support him or assist him, it is alot more complicated to get $ for college.
From the article...."Tuition at Georgetown is $77,000 and the original financial aid package Owen received was based on the premise that he would be financially supported by his parents, which means that the package wouldn’t have been generous enough for Owen to attend in the fall.

After appealing to the university with letters from mental health professionals, school personnel, mentors, and community organizers, Georgetown refused to amend his financial aid package, which left Owen with a $22,000 tuition bill for his first year.


"Georgetown University admits and enrolls students without regard to their financial circumstances and is committed to meeting the demonstrated financial need of eligible students through a combination of aid programs that include grants, scholarships, employment and loans from federal, state, private, and University resources," a spokesperson from Georgetown told The Advocate. "While we cannot comment on any individual case, we work closely with students whose financial circumstances change after admission to modify financial aid assistance and ensure they can still enroll regardless of their ability to pay.”

However, the GoFundMe page has already accumulated over $30,000, which means that Owen will be be covered for his first year."
More at article

[dsc]

20. they were assuming his parents could contribute to his education

from an account I read.

[tammywammy]

22. FAFSA assumes parental contributions

Except under specific circumstances. But a university's financial aid office has discretion. I was just surprised that as valdectorian he wasn't given a full ride due to that.

[GeoWilliam750]

10. May we hope that his parents come to their senses

And realize that they have a brilliant, unusually self-aware, and tremendously courageous son, who is likely to add much to the world.

That they will understand that love comes in every shape and size and colour and age and gender; that love knows no limits.

That they will let go of their fear, anger, and hate, so that they too can experience the absolute joy of pure, unselfish love.

That they would much prefer that their son live with a man he loves than a woman he doesn't.


Some people eventually come around. Let us hope that his parents are also able to turn their hate into love.

[Yavin4]

15. I'm going waaaaay out on a limb here

My guess is that the parents are Trump voters.

[Cha]

16. Maybe not too far.

[DFW]

18. So the kid's parents love a hateful god they will never see

And they love that invisible wraith more than their own son whom they raised from birth? Let them stew in their lonely righteousness for a decade or two, and then they will either die alone or come begging forgiveness from a proud, successful man who, having written them off long ago, will ask them, "do I know you?"

[Raster]

19. Rock on, Seth!

I PROUDLY donated.