Getting rid of the invisibility cloak on the lgbtq+

By Johnny Vu

When talking about the LGBTQ+ community most would automatically think of the word gay. It is a reasonable reaction as most media representation of the LGBTQ+ community are of gay people. Rarely would the media expand beyond that, although in recent times it is becoming more inclusive.

But what about the other part of the LGBTQ+ community that isn’t talked about as frequently?

I had the opportunity to interview three students at Yerba Buena High School that is part of said community. One that identifies as bigender, bisexual and had been in questioning. They go by the name of Genesis, Megan and Alyssa respectively.

It's not unusual for people to still question who they are. There is no definite time frame for when a person discovers as well. It is a learning process. People can figure out their identity early on or later in life. It is also not wrong for people to still question who they are.

For Alyssa she had been in questioning since the beginning: “My whole life basically. I was questioning if I was pansexual or not. But it seems I identify as straight.”

For both Megan and Genesis they had discovered themselves at a later point in their life. I myself had discovered that I was gay in seventh grade.

Megan discovered herself in middle school: “I found out around seventh grade that I was bisexual.”

Genesis discovered themself in high school: “Sophomore year. I questioned who I was. How I feel feminine and masculine. I researched more about it and found that the term bigender seems to identify me the most.”

Bigender is a gender identity which can be translated as 'two genders' or 'double gender'. Bigender people experience exactly two gender identities, either simultaneously or varying between the two.

While the existence of the LGBTQ+ community is not new, you can say that the discussion about it is. In the past, schools never really talked about the LGBTQ+ community, but as each new generation of people come along a better wave of understanding is taught and learned. I asked my interviewees whether or not schools should expand more on this topic.

For Genesis and Alyssa their responses were both positive.

“In some ways yes, to educate students, staff, and teachers to be more aware since it’s a new thing. They can learn how certain words affect people.” Genesis replied.

For Alyssa she gave some tips on how teachers could help students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community: “More posters or a class dedicated to this topic to create a more positive influence.”

Megan on the other hand had a different viewpoint on the matter. Although Yerba Buena has acknowledged the LGBTQ+ community, it still is not regularly discussed: “No, because in my opinion some are uncomfortable with the subject.”

I agree with Genesis and Alyssa that schools should be more active in talking about the LGBTQ+ community to create a more positive environment for LGBTQ+ students. I do also understand where Megan is coming from as some LGBTQ+ students don’t feel comfortable with sharing what they identify as like herself.

Being part of the LGBTQ+ community is not easy. There are many slurs thrown around in school like ‘faggot’ and words such as ‘gay’ having a negative connontation associated to them. Schools should educate those who are not part of the community to be more familiar with the topic. This not only educates those who do not know, but also the LGBTQ+ community. The more people who understand the topic the more positive the environment becomes.ok