During the fourth week of school, Mrs. Brown noticed that Garrett, a student in her second-year French class, was being ostracized by the other students. She continued to observe nonverbal behaviors, making sure that she treated all students equally. Two weeks later, Garrett met with Mrs. Brown after school and told her that he felt uncomfortable in class, suspected the other students recognized his attraction to another male student, and feared being discovered. Which of the following responses from Mrs. Brown is likely to help Garrett in this situation?