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Thursday, November 20, 2014
Intern of the Week
The last but certainly not least important member of our LGBTQ+ Program intern team is Travis! He has not only been an integral part of the Queer Week and LGBTQ+ Conference planning processes but has also somehow found time to write some pretty amazing blogs and contribute to the SPARK newsletter. After just transferring here last semester, Travis has done a great job of getting involved and making a difference and we can't wait to see all of the amazing work he will do in the future!
Monday, November 10, 2014
We All Deserve to Be Happy by Taylor Holmes
Then, over a long period of time, I had several revelations.
1.
Being queer is great.
2.
Caring about what other people think about me
being queer is exhausting.
3.
I deserve to be happy.
That last one may not seem like much of a revelation but
after years of living only to please others, it was a big step for me to
realize that I was allowed to take control of my own life and make decisions
that would make me happy.
After these revelations, I entered phase two. During this
time, I couldn’t help but work my sexuality into conversations where I really
didn’t need to bring it up. No longer was I worried about people knowing that I
am gay, so naturally, I chopped off all of my hair, my outfits became more and
more rainbow themed, and you could bet your life savings that I was going to be
in the front row of every GSEC event and Pride meeting. Looking back on this
time period now, I am tempted to say that I am embarrassed but the reality is that
I’m not. I’m actually really proud of myself for going through phase two. In
reaction to phase one, I needed a time when I was really and truly proud of
exactly who I am. I needed a time to celebrate the actualization of all of the
dreams and feelings I had always been too scared to express.
Now I’m in phase three? Yeah, I guess that sounds about
right. My hair is still short and now I intern at the GSEC but my rainbow
attire has (mostly) shifted to just buttons on my backpack and for the most
part I can get through a conversation without mentioning that I’m gay. Cass’
Identity Model and theory of the coming out process would say that I am in
stage six: Identity Synthesis. This is the final stage of the long and
sometimes painful process of accepting who we are and is also when people often
realize that sexual orientation is only one aspect of who we are and not our
entire identity.
While the road to get here hasn’t always been the smoothest
and I’ve lost some passengers along the way, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I needed to go through the confusion, the self-acceptance, the intense pride of
who I am, and the realization that I am also so much more than just one
identity. I know that I wouldn’t have made it here without my friends, some
family, and the GSEC, all of whom have been here for me through the entire
process, even when I’m sure I annoyed the hell out of them during my brief
period of obsession with Ellen Page. They all recognized that each of those
steps were so important to my process of figuring out who I am and I am a
testament to the fact that we need places like the GSEC and Pride to help
people along the way. The fact of the matter is that the barriers I faced when
coming out were miniscule compared to what so many LGBTQ+ youth face around the
world. Without continuing resources and support, we will continue to see too
many lives lost to hate. It may seem like a small revelation, but we all
deserve to be happy and I am so immensely thankful to those that constantly
reminded me of that.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Intern of the Week!
Next on our list of fabulous Women's Program interns is Holly Wisdom! We are so thankful to Holly for her dedication to the GSEC which can be seen in the countless hours she has worked to come up with creative new button ideas and help plan our weekly Feminist Fridays. Holly is also a constant positive presence in the GSEC office and is always willing to help out with any task or just be a welcoming and friendly face when visitors come to our office.
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