Dear Professor,

Recently I posted all my questions on the forum, so it has been a long time since last time that I wrote to you. But I really want to write you an email.

The other students in the forum has expressed their love for your course and their appreciation for your teaching. I have exactly the same feeling so I don’t want to repeat here.

You are the first teacher that I met who came out publicly as gay man. I looked at your personal website, and found you did not hide it at all. For me, I identified myself as gay man since my primary school. But in my hometown back in China, a gay would not be accepted at all. So I was deep in the closet, and I did not know any other gay men around me until I started to use gay app in college.

Sometimes I was so depressed, especially in my college. Everyone starts to make boyfriends or girlfriends, but it was so difficult for me to find one. And even if I found one, we had to hide in the dark. My parents pushed me hard to make girlfriends, but I don’t want to cheat a girl. As you know, getting married and having child is very very important for a boy in China. And my parents think gay men are disgusting, and more evil than people who do heroin. Gay man are also discriminated in their work. Every time I think of this, I was so depressed that I could not study or do anything else for several days.

But you are so great as gay man, you came out so early when the western world was as conservative as the current China society. You are so dedicated to your career. I never saw a professor who care about the study of his students as you. I can see that you really want to make sure your students do good in your course, and everyone respect you for this.

You really really give me courage in the sense that if I work hard in my field, and I will be respected for my achievements. I was always so afraid of living on my own for the rest of my life. But now I think if I can have a career that I devote to, I will not be lonely and I will be respected.

The courage that you give me is more important than any other thing you give me. And I believe there must be someone else feeling in the same way.

Thank you again!

Sincerely,