during his high school junior year he avoided his home by working three jobs and many extracurricular activities, as a way to deal with the tension from his parents. seth stated, as an “ambitious 17-year-old high school junior, i was working three jobs. i registered for dual enrollment college courses, every honor society, and every extracurricular school activity i could fit in my schedule.” he did so to avoid dealing with his family, he felt their church was teaching them “painful, racist, and anti-lgbtq+ hate.” one night he “burst into tears because i realized that i had to go back home and put on a mask.” he also was experiencing symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation. his time at home came to an end during his senior year when his parents started attending “a church with an anti-lgbtq pastor”. in addition to very negative comments about lgbtq people, they spoke about transgender people as being inhuman which really bothered him. his father said “he’s allowed to live here as long as he worships the same way we worship.” when seth said he did not want to go, his father, a firm believer in filial obedience, responded “biblically, we have the right to stone you for what you’re saying”, owen left that night and stayed with friends. seth had $25 in his bank account; his parents “vowed not to spend a penny on his college education”. he graduated as co-valedictorian with a 4.16 grade point average and was accepted by georgetown university, where he planned to major in government and african-american studies.