High school bullies did not dampen my idealism. I took refuge elsewhere and found comfort in drama club, writing for the school paper, sinking my head into countless books and, of course, watching my leading ladies of romance. I spent my teenage years passively, watching friends live life to the fullest as they struck up conversations at house parties, went on dates, experienced heartbreak and acted on the urges surging through their bodies. Rom-coms permitted the possibility of true love and a happy ending, especially during a time when society scoffed at the idea of romance and marriage for queer people. These films felt accessible, safe and hopeful for someone like me: young, shy and closeted. Like Josie, my early 20s presented the opportunity to make up for a life unlived in high school (although, my methods were less problematic than Josie's). As a teenager, the romantic comedy was one of my favourite movie genres. I can recall the homophobic insults that were whispered as I walked through the hallways of my high school. While I never got egged on prom night, people were still cruel and insensitive.
When I came out at 19, I was like Josie: un-kissed and a virgin. Cue an amazingly unrealistic plot where Josie goes undercover in a Chicago high school to write a juicy newspaper feature, ultimately resulting in her meeting a hot English Literature teacher and being crowned prom queen. Like many people, she wanted a love story of her own.
