Event Blog: Homocoming

On December 7^th, I attended the dance hosted by the LGBT+ organization on campus (Rainbow Alliance). The event was hosted at the Allied Health Building on the Medical School Campus, and lasted from 8-11PM.

Why the Event is Necessary: In class, we discussed the idea of spaces, a space being an area where one can exist without overwhelming scrutiny. We also talked about how difficult it can be for people (particularly women), to find safe spaces, however, it goes without saying that there are many other minority groups that experience this problem, the LGBT+ community being one of them. An event like Homocoming is important because it provided that very space for students who are quite often margined due to sexual orientation and/or gender identity. For at least a short amount of time, LGBT+ students are able to express themselves without fearing for their safety, or having to occupy their thoughts with the reactions of others. In fact, I’d argue that it isn’t just the physical space it provides, but the fact that Homocoming’s status as a public event takes up space that is ordinarily reserved for events geared toward people who are assumed to be cisgender and/or straight. This is particularly important because it forces the average cisgender and /or straight person to acknowledge the presence of LGBT+ people around them, which is one of the first steps attempting to change the status quo.

Personal Reflection:On a more personal note, it was really awesome to go to an event where I felt comfortable presenting as my actual gender identity, which is a rarity at this point in my life! While it was certainly nice to not have to worry about violence (rates of violence directed against trans*women are insanely high), perhaps, a greater effect was that I was able to feel "normal" for one of the first times in my life. That is to say, I was in a place where I could feel like part of a greater whole, rather than an exception. That actually provided me with a bit of first hand insight into how norms at large are preserved; there is incentive to preserve them. After all, if a person was able to feel "normal" everyday, it seems only logical that they would do everything in their power to preserve that feeling..