Midwest GenderQueer

Anonymous asked: How did you get started in LGBTQ activism? :]

This is a question with a long answer, let’s see how succinct I can be! I became interested in activism in high school which, like for most, involved joining clubs. My first connection to LGBTQ stuff was when I was fourteen and I joined my high school GSA, but it didn’t give me the launching point that you might expect. My GSA didn’t talk about activism as much as we focused on “tolerance” - it was just about all we could afford. Not being informed about the queer community likely contributed to my lack of understanding for my own identities or even kept me from realizing I was or could be queer (I didn’t even know trans existed). Without that structure of understanding, I never fostered anything more than a supportive interest in queer issues. So technically the GSA is where I started, but I’m hesitant to pin point that experience as solely how I “got started.” When I think of how I got into activism, queer and trans issues don’t actually come into play until a ways down the line. My activist work originated in environmentalism, and then when I was eighteen, I took interest in the anti-war movement and joined the radical activist community. This broadened my scope, giving me an understanding for global politics, human rights, oppression and privilege, equality and social justice, and otherwise built the foundation for the kind of activist I am today. Then, completely unrelated to activism, I came out as trans and queer. When I did, I didn’t know anyone gay, let alone queer or trans, and there were no viable trans resources on campus or anywhere in the city. Having a mindset that is rather stubborn and demanding, I started to direct my activist interest towards trans and queer issues. My queer activist jumping off point was, admittedly, driven by selfish motivations. I was lonely, confused, and extremely angry about my difference and the isolation that resulted from it. I turned to activism to pull me out of my misery. I figured that if I could find a way to be useful, and make some resources to help myself and others like me, then I would feel better about my situation, and maybe make my life a little easier.

It was a very slow growth process. First, I looked at what I had – which was nothing, and then I figured out what I wanted to have – which was everything. When I got that all I figured that out, I started taking stumbling steps forward. I did a lot of research, took the few available classes on queer topics, and sought out like minded folks. In the beginning, A major part of my learning was by doing; I started a trans* student group, formed a movement for a campus LGBTQ center, started a campus drag show, and tried to address the lack of queer education by my making my own ‘classes’ and asking professors and organizations if I could present to their audiences. I looked for knowledge anywhere I could find it and found that most of the resources were not where I was – they were outside Cincinnati, or even outside the Midwest. So I did what I had to do to reach those resource hubs (like conferences), so that I could bring that info back home. I made a fair amount of sacrifices, but even at the time, it didn’t feel too much like a sacrifice because I knew I was gaining new perspectives, education, and a network of people doing similar work. It was, and continues to be a  wild ride! Presenting at conferences was a big jumping off point for me because it enabled me to gain an understanding for what resources people needed so I could start to figure out what how do to address that need. And it still does this today! When I graduated college, I did more to connect with local and national organizations and projects that I respected; applying for boards and committees and volunteering in areas I want to learn about. Along with that, I continue to create my own local projects to serve the community where I live. And that’s where I am today; others may arrive in similar places through different methods but no matter who you are, I think a common factor is that a big part of “getting started” in activism lies in hands on learning; interacting with people, seeing and experiencing oppression, and thinking – always thinking about how to create pro-active change. The more you work, the more you learn. The harder the work, the better an activist you become. So after explaining all this, I guess I never really “got started” in queer activism so much as it crashed down on me like a wave. And once that wave landed, I really only had two options: start swimming or drown. I think that is the story of a lot of activists. I never imagined I would become a trans and queer activist, but now I can’t imagine being anything else. Finding this work is possibly the best thing that has ever happened to me. It gives my life purpose, and it gives my soul direction. I wonder what I would have thought if someone came to me in that GSA when I was fourteen and told me this is where I would end up. I honestly don’t think I would have believed them, but I’m glad I got here! Thanks for your question and the little walk down memory lane it stirred up. :)