Keene State College united Monday to celebrate diversity for National Coming Out Day.
National Coming Out Day is a Human Rights Campaign to celebrate coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ).
This day is recognized on October 11, the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights that occurred in 1988.
This was a big year for prominent individuals such as Bruce Jenner, Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart, Tim Cook and Jussie Smollett who all came out this year.
So, what exactly does it mean to come out?
Coming out is announcing one’s sexual orientation or gender identity to family and friends.
KSC isn’t the only one celebrating National Coming Out Day. Several people offered encouraging words and support on social media, posting inspirational pictures, tweets and videos.
KSC kicked off the celebration by hosting a luncheon in the Mountain View Room of the Student Center.
Students, faculty and even Keene State president Anne Huot attended, where they became acquainted with each other, ate food and played ice breaker games.
Later that night a panel of five individuals inclduing a KSC Alumni, Gage Martin, Bella Ortiz-Wren, Todd Pinsonneault and Alex Fischer,who identify themselves as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, spoke on their experiences and told the audience their personal stories.
Despite some of their fears of speaking so personally to a crowd of strangers, they said they found the courage to do so in order to help give that confidence to others to come out to themselves and their peers.
Each member of the panel described what it was like to come out, when they decided to do so and whom they came out to.
Colton McKraken/ Equinox Staff
For some of the panel, coming out to family and friends was easier than for others.
Having families with traditional expectations can make it difficult to express one’s sexuality.
A KSC Alumni described what it was like for her. Her father was understanding, but her mother, on the other hand, was not so accepting. “Coming from a huge Vietnamese family, cultural for her it was not super accepting. It actually came out mid-argument where I was like, ‘Oh yeah mom well I’m gay.’ It was terrible on both of our parts and it took perseverance on my part to keep introducing her to people,” She said. “My family is more accepting now, but it does take time,” she added.
For KSC Alumni Todd Pinsonneault it took time likewise. “I just kept putting it off. I kept being like, okay I’m ready now and then next family crisis happens. It was excuse after excuse,” Pinsonneault said. After realizing how accepting his family and friends were Pinsonneault added, “I was so afraid for nothing.”
Panelist Alex Fischer said the difficult part is letting clients and people in professional settings be comfortable and accepting.
“For me, I am okay with people not totally getting my gender the way I get it because I generally don’t think that anyone is ever going to completely understand the way I see myself and as long as they can respect me and care about me and think that I am awesome [that] is really all that I can ask for,” Fischer said.
Hunter Kirschner, Program Support Assistant for LGBTQ Students, helped facilitate this event. Kirschner said, “I feel like our stories are told narrowly or by someone else so the panel I’m doing as well as this lunch is coming together to kind of share our experiences with each other as well as our campus community which allows us to take ownership.”
Kirschner explained that the purpose of this is to encourage other people so they don’t have to be silent or exploited in their experience and to assure them that they are not alone.
KSC students were able to share their stories as well. Two students even acknowledged how they both are open about their sexuality here at school, even though their families back home are unaware of this.
Other students attended the event simply to engage with others and educate themselves on all aspects of the community they are apart of.
Senior Siobhan Fuller said, “I think this is a huge component of just understanding and more so just accepting. I think these small events make a huge difference and it’s just an easy step for someone who may be thinking I want to be more comfortable with this issue so that when I approach someone who identifies as something different than myself I feel like I can apply the appropriate feedback and give the appropriate reaction.”
The panel offers this advice for students of all ages, genders and sexualities to hold with them. Losing friends is a trend, and it is hard to lose a whole group of them.
However, students can find supportive communities and people who have similarities that make them feel comfortable and confident and allow them to live freely.
Alexandra Enayat can be contacted at aenayat@kscequinox.com
