I WAS KNOWN AS "THE LESBIAN ON CAMPUS": At Least It Was Exposure To Some People (Celia)

I came out my sophomore year and joined Allies right away. There was one or two other OUT students that I knew of.

In college, I didn't really care about being out. I sort of immediately became the president of Allies and did a lot of stuff around campus. People I dated came to school and I held hands with them while we were walking around. I did get a lot of crap from people, but so many people were really supportive as well. It was sad to be known as “the Lesbian on campus”—before people really knew me, that is—but it was nice to know that it was exposure to some people, I guess.

I’m really curious about how accepting campus is now. I’ve visited and it was so nice to have the ALLiES gathering [the GALA Reception] over Homecoming [2007], where I got to meet many of you. I remember doing that once when I was in Allies and we had a couple come in. Always a small group, but it's so nice just to gather and share stories.

I wasn't as politically minded back then- and I really didn't know much about anything at all. I didn't really have any role models as far as learning about politics relating to GLBT issues. Sadly, I didn't do as much with Allies as I would have liked (in retrospect anyway)—but at least it was going and we did a few things... it wasn't until I moved to DC that I learned things and met up with different types of people and really learned more.

I live in DC now—have been here for 6 years. I’d definitely want to buy a house, get married, have children, etc.

GAY-on-GAY CRIME: I Only Felt Hostility From Closet Gays and Non-ALLiES Members (James)

Ironically, during my 4-year career at Gettysburg College, I've felt hostility/resentment from NOTHING BUT gay students, for personal reasons. Mostly, I've felt hostility from CLOSETED gay people and gay non-ALLiES members on this campus. I guess they've had cold attitudes toward me because they know that I know that they know... Plus, I enjoy drawing attention to myself and to the cause most dear to my heart: gay rights/equality for all.

I think I'm one of the few GLBT students who doesn't have a problem getting dates, but sustaining a relationship's a whole different ballgame. I've had a few guys mention in casual conversation that they're into a certain type of guy, one who doesn't match my physical description (eg. weight, hair color).

I have a much easier time attracting men back in Maryland than I do here. As a result of trial and error, my potential date criteria has become more and more strict. What can I say? It's extremely difficult to find an out & proud, politically active, respectable guy to date @ Gettysburg College.

I've seen people's attitudes toward me change once they found out that not only was I gay but that I find no problem talking about it. It hurts to see how many "friendly" guys I've scared away because they were afraid of their names being associated with mine.

BLACK, OVERWEIGHT, MIDDLE CLASS, NONRELIGIOUS BUTCH LESBIAN: I'm Attacked From All Sides (Nelly)

As soon as I moved to Pasadena in the fourth grade, I knew something was very, very different from Glen Burnie. Where my class was a nice mix and balance of racial minorities there, it was me... and James. That's it. It only became worse when James and I advanced in our educative careers, for we both were like, the token black kids in the AP classes.

Add to that the fact that I'm female, and the fact that I don't "act Black," and there's a double hit from both fronts. In the dating pool, I've gotten more flack about being a black woman ("Sorry, no black chicks" is a common sentence I see in personals ads) than I have for not acting "black enough" in high school.

Add to that the fact that I am, in fact, a lesbian? Good grief, triple minority there. And I'm not all super excited about religion? Oh, and how about wanting an education instead of getting high at any given opportunity, as well as keeping a steady job? The hole gets smaller and smaller when we get more specific in our minority classifications.

I never attempted to prioritize all the aspects of who I am, because I think they're all equally important and just as telling of my character. However, if I was to list them in order of acknowledgment, it would probably be something like:

1. Lesbian
2. Female
3. Educated
4. Overweight/Cuddly/Muscular
5. Black
6. Middle Class

Whenever I hear about discrimination of any minority group, I respond in kind. Either with passive-aggressive criticism, discussion within Freedom Alliance, or doing nothing. I wish I could afford to donate to advocacy groups, be it time or finances, but I honestly can't.

I consistently attend Freedom Alliance meetings. I go and discuss topics and listen to consenting or opposing opinions. Sometimes I go hang out with them outside of meeting times when I have time. I never tried to attend anything like the NAACP or the Black Student Union, simply because I don't want to, nor have time to. And, I feel like it will be just as disorganized as some other black student organizations, and don't wish to waste my time listening to the latest gossip and arguments that can happen and continue.

I may try it out this semester, though. I might go and see what it's all about, and really take a look into it.

GETTYSBURGIANS ARE PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE: No One Ever Said Anything To My Face (James)

Even though I'm from a predominantly White area (Pasadena, MD), I didn't experience an intense feeling of racial discrimination. The first time I actually realized I was different from my classmates was in the 1st grade when a kid yelled, "You're out, Black boy!" during a heated game of Kickball... my older brother kicked his ass the next morning, and it never happened again.

Other than that, no one has ever said anything racist TO MY FACE. The closest anyone has ever come has been shouting slurs from a speeding pick-up truck. In that sense, there are more outspoken bigots back home than there are at Gettysburg College.

Almost my entire life, I've been a very thin guy and I've been teased relentlessly about it by family, friends, and even strangers. What can I say? I ran track, did gymnastics, danced, practiced vegetarianism, and was constantly training to be stunt double... of course, I'm thin and toned! As the doctors have all told my parents, I'm in optimal health. I've always body image issues and only recently have I told my friends how much their comments (no matter how loving) really hurt me.

Surprisingly, I have never really encountered discrimination based on my sexuality, mainly because I didn't come out until my senior year of high school. At Gettysburg College, I find that everyone, in general, is passive-aggressive and prefers to say things behind each other's backs. I've felt accepted here, mostly because I tried to be upfront and honest from the very beginning.

Not until I came to Gettysburg had I even encountered people from the upper middle class and above. And typically, I don't associate with them because I don't believe that they take their education as seriously as those of us who are here on academic scholarships.

Whenever I hear about some Right Wing idiot trying to take away the rights of law-abiding gay citizens, I get extremely upset and am very likely to join an online protest, donate to an advocacy group, etc. Similarly, if there's been a gay bashing at a school, I will somehow acknowledge it, and bitch about it with my friends. However, when it's an isolated incident like that, I'm not as likely to take extreme action.

As you can guess, I identify myself as 1) Male, 2) Gay, 3) Black, 4) Educated, 5) Pagan, and 6) Middle Class.

I've been an active member of ALLiES (Gay-Straight Alliance) since my freshman year. Jai [Schock] initiated me, because we had Creative Writing together, and one of my stories had gay characters... even though it wasn't made obvious. I'm in ALLiES because I want to do everything I can to "fight the good fight," and make sure that future generations will live in a world of GLBT equality.

I WAS a member of the NAACP during my freshman year, as well. However, the group was extremely disorganized and never got anything done at meetings. Being an anal-retentive person, it really bugged me and I never came back.

I'm also a member of the GAIA Pagan Society, which is a nice forum for people who don't exclusively practice Christianity. It's comforting to have a group where people, gay and straight, can discuss spirituality and participate in religious rituals.

I DO NOT SUPPORT BOB BARR: He Is Not A Libertarian, He's A Douche! (DeLue)

I am a liberal libertarian. Please note that I in no way support Bob Barr, he is not a libertarian, he's a douche. I'm registered independent, but I usually vote libertarian or democrat.

I cast my ballot for Barack and was VERY happy to see Obama win. I ran around campus with some friends like a nut. I believe he will restore respect to our country on the global political stage and bring us into a closer more cooperative relationship with the rest of the world. Though I'm disappointed with his riding the fence on GLBT issues, he will definitely be better in that respect than McCain.

I think whether ALLiES publicly supports a candidate could be a touchy issue. Although we are a group with an obvious focus and should work toward spreading acceptance and tolerance politically as well as socially, a group supporting a candidate for one reason often ends up getting the group associated with completely different things that candidate does. Such associations could be dangerous and counterproductive.

Being a member of allies is a choice and choosing not to be a member should be respected whole-heartedly. It may be a good idea, however, to find out why they've chosen not to join, so that we may broaden our perspective and possibly expand our organization to include a larger proportion of the GLBT community and serve them better.

I am a pretty politically involved and interested person and I think that I would have to date either a fellow libertarian or democrat. Differences in business politics we can debate and argue on an economic basis, but if we differ on social issues, then that could be a problem.

YOU'VE GOTTA BELIEVE IN SOMETHING: I Could Never Date A Politically Apathetic Man (James)

As much as I’d like to say that I’m a moderate, I’m actually a die-hard liberal and registered Democrat. I care deeply about issues like education, welfare programs, social security, alternative energy, women’s reproductive rights, and of course, gay marriage & adoption rights.

In November, I made sure to cast my ballot for Barack Obama. As Media Coordinator for the Gettysburg Students for Barack Obama, I’d been volunteering for his campaign since the Primaries. In what little spare time I had, I donated, canvassed, phone banked, and registered new voters for Obama. And luckily, it all paid off.

I remember when Obama was declared the Projected Winner, we all piled into Jimmy’s bedroom and watched his acceptance speech. And after walking Hannah home a little after midnight, I saw students flocking to Stine Lake for an impromptu rally, so I joined in the chaos.

For four years, I’ve wanted to see ALLiES join the fight for equality by writing letters, protesting, and attending marches. Unfortunately, we’ve remained nonpartisan and haven’t achieved much outside of our college bubble. I think we should’ve wholeheartedly supported a candidate who wasn’t trying to take our rights away.

Even more than gay Republicans, I just can’t understand how anyone could be politically apathetic nowadays. Part of the reason why I typically don’t date non-ALLiES members is because apathetic gays and self-hating gays make me sick to my stomach. I don’t respect them at all. Not only do they not attend meetings but they never show any signs of real support, like coming to one of our many events.

It’s extremely important that my partner be politically active, no matter what his political views are. I could NEVER be with someone who didn’t care about his own future or the future of his country.