Today I had my first LGBTQ speakers gig today. This is a program formerly run by CUAV that trains volunteers to be speakers at schools, workplaces, and community centers to talk about their experience being a member of the LGBTQ community (god how i love all-encompassing acronyms). I trained for it a while back but it was right before I got a full time job so I was never able to do a gig until now!
The audience today was a school bus full of about 75 kids from a Jewish private school in Houston Texas. Their teachers took them on a springbreak fieldtrip to San Francisco- how awesome is that? They are travelling around SF learning about "social justice" and the LGBTC Center was one of their stops.
Me and two gay dudes sat in chairs on a stage looking down at the rows of kids. After giving a 5 minute bio, we opened it up for questions. It was like a press conference on queers!
This is the first time I've ever spoke openly to so many people at once about being queer identified. For the first time I got to speak truthfully about my sexuality in the form of a personal narrative rather than a restrictive one-word label. I got to explain how I believe sexuality and gender are fluid concepts, and my preferences can vary based on how I'm feeling at any given moment, and who happens to catch my eye. I call myself queer because queer simply means different. I'd rather be defined by what I'm not rather than what I am. Basically, I am NOT straight. I'll date and fuck whoever I want rather than be dictated by a label. This state of constant flux in my sexuality is sometimes confusing, but mostly liberating. "Questioning" isn't just a final phase before coming out, but rather it's an end in itself. I carefully explained this orientation to the kids, and I think they got it. I felt good about that.
OK, off to watch "Out of this World", the best 90's sitcom ever, with my roommate. Memories of coming home from school, eating an afternoon snack of cup of noodles, watching this followed by Saved by the Bell...pretty much on a daily basis.
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1 comments:
"Questioning" isn't just a final phase before coming out......love it.
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