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It shaped me so strongly because it really had a lot to do with values I hold dear to myself. It was a negative event because I really saw it as an example of the lack of respect some people have for individual choice and a focus on possibly stereotypical ideals. It really led to me becoming proud of my own values, such as sexual orientation and my individual style.</p> <p>Last year in eighth grade, I wore a lot of black and was a lot more  hardcore with my style. I wouldn t have been caught dead in light colors and that was what I identified as. I also wore black nail polish most days, and it became one of my fashion staples. One day during the summer, I had karate, and went to the class not expecting anything special. My instructor, I noticed, had glanced at my nails multiple times throughout the class, but I was used to this and thought it was nothing to sneeze at. Besides, I got that look at school all the time and I knew what it meant, so I simply ignored it. At the end of class as I was changing back into regular clothes, my instructor spoke to me. He said that everyone needs to choose his or her own path in life and find themselves, but that me wearing nail polish (as a male) was pushing it. He said he had to keep a degree of normalcy to the dojo, and keep what people were used to. My instructor said the dojo was no place for it. Now at the time, I was just really freaked out, so I simply apologized and said it would never happen again. Later on, I thought things over, and thought,  Wait, that was pretty unreasonable. </p> <p>For one thing, he was demonstrating a very obvious double standard about nail polish. My girlfriend at the time, for example, had her nails painted a lot and he didn t even give it a glance. But when I did it he was justified to call it abnormal??? Personally, I feel the normalcy comment was a load of crap, and didn t belong in the dojo (school). Karate preaches discipline, strength, and respect and I always had followed this code. I fail to understand how nail polish fits into the equation at all.</p> <p>This makes me proud of my bisexuality, as it is all me, and no one else deciding for me. People can try to bring me down, but I know that I will succeed if I try.</p> <!-- InstanceEndEditable --> </div> <div class="bottomnavblank" id="bottomnav"><img src="images/spacer.png" alt="spacer" width="835" /> <p style="margin-top:0px" align="center"> <a href="index.html">home</a> &#149; <a href="contact.html">contact us</a> &#149; <a href="about.html">about us </a> &#149; <a href="obsstory.html">stories</a> &#149; <a href="exchange.html">exchange process </a> &#149; <a href="schools.html">participating schools </a> &#149; <a href="faq.html">faq</a> &#149; <a href="support.html">support us</a></p> &copy;2010 Operation Breaking Stereotypes &#149; <a href="mailto:webmaster@operationbreakingstereotypes.org">email webmaster</a> </div> </div> </body> <!-- InstanceEnd --></html>