"If you say you are gay in public you will be shot in the head." My bittersweet anniversary.

[Teacher of the Year]

21. Very lovely, thank you.

Right after I was fired, I was the guest speaker at a high school Gay Straight Alliance group. I was in all the headlines and it was very public what was happening to me and why I was fighting.

At the end of the event a young person came up to me, they were shaking, and staring at the ground. They were so fragile, I could tell it from a mile a way. They they took a deep breath, looked me in the eye and said, "Thank you. I feel like what you did, you did for me."

And, seriously, every single nasty thing that happened to me (the death threats were so bad the FBI had us leave our house at one point)-though that was later) became worthwhile and have stayed that way ever since.

When I got the award I thought I would send a nice message simply through pictures with my husband. I ended up teaching a different lesson--how to stand up and fight. Totally different than what I expected but I was raised by fighters and was raised to not back down to bullies.

The good fight is always a good fight.