When Mary S. was 13 she was outed by a girl at school after confessing that she thought she might be gay. The drama that ensued with her classmates, plus her internal struggle to reconcile her sexuality with her Catholic upbringing were extremely difficult. “It was a really nightmarish time in my life," she told MTV News. "And I contemplated ending my life on a few occasions.”

It did get better, though.

Mary managed to hide her sexuality from her parents when she was outed at school. When she came out to them much later, they were fully supportive. “They’ve been amazing,” she says, “I’ve been blessed to have such a supportive family.” She also found support from the LGBT community at the University of Indiana.

Now 23, Mary is proud to say she has lived in Indiana her whole live. She recently did an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit where she answered questions about what it’s like living as a young queer woman in Indiana following the passage of the Religious Freedom Reform Act (RFRA). In her AMA, Mary said that it's been tough, but she also defended the people of her home state. “Most business owners/leaders are [actually] pissed about [the RFRA],” she said. “Those who would refuse service are a small minority, even in rural Indiana.”

Mary also suggested that although she knows the boycott of her state comes from a place of good intentions, it might be doing more harm than good for the state. “...The state is going to suffer. People who don't support the law and even queer residents are the ones falling victim to the boycott... Honestly I'd like to see someone encouraging people to support the groups here in Indiana who are taking the fight to the statehouse,” she said. “I haven't seen a single boycott leader encouraging support for groups here in the state. The outrage on behalf of my community warms my heart...but people don't really seem to care how hard we're fighting here.”

MTV spoke with Mary further about what it’s like to be a lesbian actually living in Indiana right now. Here’s what she had to say:

MTV: It sounds like you’re still proud to be an Indianan. What's your favorite thing about Indiana?

Mary: I think my favorite thing about Indiana is the under-the-surface diversity. If you dig just a little you find so much.

MTV: What about your least favorite thing?

Mary: My least favorite things [about Indiana] are discriminatory legislation and frigid winters.

MTV: What has been the hardest part of dealing with the new RFRAs in Indiana?

Mary: I think the hardest part of dealing with this RFRA, at least personally, has been the way we (as in the queer community and our supporters in Indiana) have been treated. We're doing our best to fight like helI. I want to feel comforted by this national outcry but it's just hard when the country seems convinced that you're some kind of yokel. Don't get me wrong, I love the outcry and people calling this legislation out, but the Indiana LGBT community and the rational thinkers shouldn't be put down in the process. I understand the reasoning for the boycott, but I've seen almost no mention of support for those of us here. We've been generalized and forgotten. [It’s like] people forgot LGBT people [actually] live in Indiana.

MTV: Have you ever been discriminated against for your sexual orientation in Indiana?

Mary: I was physically attacked by classmates after I was forced out at 13, and I actually faced a written death threat when I was at Indiana University. It was scribbled on a note and slid under my dorm room door. However, the university administration as well as the building directors handled it miraculously. I never once felt in danger. The entire building even had a town hall style meeting hosted by the I.U. Police Department and the LGBT anti-discrimination task force ([Which is] as awesome as it sounds).

MTV: What do your friends and family think about the new law?

Mary: Friends and family, queer and straight alike, are horrified. This legislation has so little public support.

MTV: Arkansas just passed their own RFRA. What advice do you have for LGBT Arkansans?

Mary: My advice to the LGBT resident of Arkansas is to stay strong. No matter what the media and the rest of the country may throw at you, stay strong and never stop fighting back. Don't let your representatives rob you of your dignity and as payback vote them out of office.