SPECIAL ISSUE
pride. To introduce the Daily Beacon’s special issue for LGBTQA+ history month, this cover showcas-
es just 10 faces of the University of TennesseeKnoxville’s LGBTQA+ community. This is a microscopic sampling of the entire community—at UT, in Knoxville, in Tennessee, across the nation. But here is our introduction to the issue—and to an entire community.
Volume 130 Issue 36
utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon
Thursday, October 8, 2015
2
PRIDE
The Daily Beacon • Thursday, October 8, 2015
THE DAILY BEACON STAFF
FLASH PROFILE
EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Jenna Butz Managing Editor: Bradi Musil Creative Director: Katrina Roberts Chief Copy Editor: Hannah Moulton, Kevin Ridder News Editor: Tanner Hancock Asst. News Editor: Heidi Hill Sports Editor: Jonathan Toye Asst. Sports Editor: Taylor White Arts & Culture Editor: Megan Patterson Asst. Arts & Culture Editor: Michael Lipps Online Editor: Cara Sanders Multimedia Editor: Hayley Brundige Photo Editors: Esther Choo, Hayley Pennesi Design Editors: Justin Keyes, Lauren Ratliff Copy Editors: Jordan Achs, Clint Graves, Altaf Nanavati, Sterling Martin Editorial Production: Meggie Briggs, Laurel Cooper, Rachel Incoravati, Hannah Marley, Caroline Norris, Cameo Waters Training Editor: Troy Provost-Heron
ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION
Advertising Manager: Conner Thompson Media Sales Representatives: Amber Wilson, Payton Plunk, Chandler Condrone Advertising Production: Rachel Elbon, Steven Woods Classified Adviser: Jessica Hingtgen
CONTACTS To report a news item, please e-mail editor.news@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-2348 To submit a press release, please e-mail pressreleases@utdailybeacon.com To place an ad, please e-mail beaconads@utk.edu or call 865-974-5206 To place a classified ad, please e-mail orderad@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-4931 Advertising: (865) 974-5206 beaconads@utk.edu Classifieds: (865) 974-4931 orderad@utdailybeacon.com Editor-in-Chief: (865) 974-2348 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com Main Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com
LETTERS POLICY: The Daily Beacon welcomes all letters to the editor and guest columns from students, faculty and staff. Each submission is considered for publication by the editor on the basis of space, timeliness and clarity. The Beacon reserves the right to reject any submissions or edit all copy in compliance with available space, editorial policy and style. Contributions must include the author’s name and phone number for verification. Students must include their year in school and major. Letters to the editor and guest columns may be e-mailed to letters@utdailybeacon.com or sent to Editor, 1340 Circle Park Dr., 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. CORRECTIONS POLICY: It is the Daily Beacon’s policy to quickly correct any factual errors and clarify any potentially misleading information. Errors brought to our attention by readers or staff members will be corrected and printed on page two of our publication. To report an error please send as much information as possible about where and when the error occurred to Editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com, or call our newsroom at (865) 9745206. The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Wednesday during the summer semester. The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/ year, $100/semester or $70/summer only. It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com
DEAR READER, Happy Pride Week, UT! It is a week for LGBTQIA students to celebrate being their true selves and a week for allies to show visible support for the many students, faculty and staff on campus who identify along the LGBTQIA spectrum. While there will always be setbacks to any social justice movement, there are many things to celebrate. We must take time to reflect on the momentous occasion that was the Supreme Court ruling this past June. The case making marriage equality the law of the land was the culmination of more than 40 years of work by thousands of people. Literally, one day same-sex spouses were deemed strangers in the eyes of the State of Tennessee and the next day they were married spouses. For nearly two decades a handful of faculty and staff worked for equal benefits at UT. On June 26, 2015 that dream was realized. There are three five-year milestones to celebrate at UT. First, 2015 marks the fifth year that the Safe Zone program has been offered on campus. The Safe Zone program was originally created by the Commission for LGBT People following a recommendation by a Faculty Senate resolution. It was nurtured and hosted in Student Activities and Multicultural Student Life until this past June when oversight shifted to the Pride Center. Safe Zone workshops are the perfect way to learn ways to be an active ally to the LGBTQIA community. After taking Safe Zone 101, a three-hour session, one can choose to be part of the Safe Zone Network. Monthly brown bags, advanced trainings, discussion lists and a new Safe Zone Facebook are among the new resources that will help to build a network
of allies on our campus. To learn more, visit safezone.utk.edu. Second, on October 24, 2015 UT will hold its 5th Annual OUTstanding Seminar at the Knoxville Convention Center. OUTstanding was the brainchild of three College of Social Work students in 2011. Social Work students have continued this tradition by planning this totally student-led initiative for five years. With nearly 300 in attendance last year, OUTstanding is one of the largest LGBT+ conferences in the southeast. This year’s OUTstanding keynote speaker will be transgender activist, author and television host, Janet Mock. The conference is free and open to everyone. Please register at outstandingseminar.wordpress.com. Third, the Pride Center, formerly the OUTreach: LGBT & Ally Resource Center, celebrated its fifth year on campus. We at the Pride Center are so proud to be the only LGBTQIA center at a public institution in Tennessee. The K.C. Potter Center that houses The Office for LGBTQI Life at Vanderbilt University is the only other center in the state. Over the summer we embarked on renaming the center to a name that was inclusive of our students. After speaking with student, faculty, staff, alumni and administrators, we decided on the Pride Center. Pride Center is simple, strong and symbolic. We want all of our students to be proud of their many identities. We are proud to be on campus. We look forward to the next five, 15 and 50 years of Safe Zone program, OUTstanding and the Pride Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Stand with us and be proud. Happy Pride Week!
GENDER IDENTITY: One’s internal, deeply held sense of one’s gender; not visible to others GENDER EXPRESSION: External manifestations of gender, expressed through one’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics Sexual orientation: Describes an individual’s enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to another person.Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. TRANSGENDER: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. CISGENDER: A term used by some to describe people who are not transgender; when one’s sex assigned at birth and gender identity align COMING OUT: A lifelong process of self-acceptance.People forge a lesbian, gay,
NAME:
Donna Braquet TITLE:
Director of UT’s Pride Center WHY SHE ROCKS:
For a woman whose job is constantly attacked by those in power (see TN legislature), Donna Braquet is surprisingly accessible. As the director, Braquet’s job includes educating on LGBTQA+ inclusion, holding conversations and building understanding. Here’s to you, Donna. Keep up the good fight.
GLOSSARY
bisexual or transgender identity first to themselves and then they may reveal it to others. OUT: The act of publicly declaring or revealing another person’s sexual orientation or gender identity without that person’s consent QUEER: Traditionally a pejorative term, queer has been appropriated by some LGBT people to describe themselves.However, it is not universally accepted even within the LGBT community and should be avoided unless describing someone who self-identifies that way or in a direct quote.When Q is seen at the end of“LGBT,”it typically means queer and/or questioning. Definitions courtesy of GLAAD
PRIDE
Thursday, October 8, 2015 • The Daily Beacon
DEAR READER, At the beginning of this year, the Daily Beacon staff made you a few promises. Besides the obvious duties like keeping you informed and accompanying your morning coffee, we promised to tell your story. Or, to tell your story to the best of our ability. The problem is, we can’t always do everyone’s story justice. Admittedly, walking into the Daily Beacon newsroom can often seem like walking into the entire state of Wisconsin: most of us are white, most of us are cisgender and most of us are heterosexual. And, that’s not something we’re proud of (please come work here if you’re not any of the above). So, on Sunday morning this past week, the Daily Beacon staff came into the newsroom at 9 a.m. to hear from Pride Center director Donna Braquet on how to tell these stories with the accuracy and respect they deserve. We wanted to learn how to write about the experiences of so many students and faculty on our campus who don’t often get a platform to voice the pride they have for their individuality and to celebrate their uniqueness. We are fortunate to attend a university that doesn’t discriminate against people based on their color, gender identity, capability, intellectual ability, history or sexual identity. This is no small deal, and it is a privilege we should all be taking advantage of. Having Donna answer our questions Sunday morning and learning about a culture of people living right here in Knoxville was like a receiving a present. We’ve realized that none of us fit into any one box, one label. Straight people and LGBTQA+ people don’t represent exclusive communities. We have more in common than we do differences, and we’re all trying to promote a society that welcomes diversity and self-expression.
3
The LGBTQA+ students and faculty at UT aren’t any smarter, more creative or funnier than you or us. They are just people. People in our community with different experiences and stories. They have perspectives and ideas to share, and their stories are just as important and can be just as typical as anyone else’s. And we as a paper have promised the UT community that we will provide the platform for all these stories. With the historic same-sex marriage Supreme Court ruling this summer, the debate over LGBTQA+ rights has once again taken center stage in our political sphere. Combine this increased media attention over the past few months with Pride Week this week and Coming Out Day this Sunday, and these stories are just begging to be told. In this issue, in addition to standard, journalistic articles that discuss asexuality and reconciling religion with being LGBTQA+, we asked people to tell their stories themselves. When you see the heading “My Story,” know that these are real people’s stories, without a reporter as the middle man. We at the Daily Beacon want to thank Donna Braquet for being patient with our emails and for guiding us through this paper, the Pride Center as a whole for allowing us into their sphere and being willing to point us in the right direction and all the individuals who let us into their lives to help us share their experiences. This issue exists because of them. Thank God there’s a space on our campus for this community. Thank God they’ve not been shoved out by the haters in the Tennessee legislature or the good ole’ Southern bigots that use a book which preaches love to justify hate. Thank God for those who keep fighting.
4
The Daily Beacon • Thursday, October 8, 2015
“
PRIDE
There’s really nothing about harassment that looks like the will of God. In contrast, I see lesbian and gay students and transgender, bisexual, just a whole range of sexual identities and RECONCILING expressions being SPACES, kind and loving and gentle.” CLOSING THE
GAP Local religious organizations work to engage with LGBTQA+ community Megan Patterson Arts & Culture Editor Romans 2:11: “For God shows no partiality.” Whether or not one chooses to ascribe to an organized religion, to believe in a higher being or to belong to a spiritual community, is their own decision. In the past, however, this choice may not have been guaranteed for members of the LGBTQA+ community, but now the scope of affirming ministries in East Tennessee alone is a testament to the opening outlet for LGBTQA+ individuals belonging to a faith. Robin Lovett, an intern at the Tyson House Episcopalian and Lutheran ministry, came out as bisexual before joining the Tyson House for worship. Now, a year since her baptism, Lovett said identifying as bisexual has helped her deepen her faith rather than construct a wall between herself and other worshippers. “I have a pretty good understanding that the church is supposed to support somebody,” Lovett said. “It is supposed to help somebody come into themselves as a child of God. Embracing your sexuality whatever it may be in a healthy, safe and responsible way is embracing part of who you are.” Father John Tirro, chaplain at the Tyson House since 2010, agreed with the supporting function of the church, and said he tries to create a safe place for students on campus. “I do notice that students are periodically harassed, just walking down the street, for the way they look or the way that they are perceived or maybe, what somebody knows about them,” Tirro said. “That’s deplorable. Honestly,
Father John Tirro, chaplain at the Tyson House
it just confirms me in my belief that LGBTQA+ people are blessed by God for who they are.” Tirro referenced Galatians 5:19-24 as a means to distinguish between those who are truly living in communion with their faith. “There’s really nothing about harassment that looks like the will of God,” Tirro said. “In contrast, I see lesbian and gay students and transgender, bisexual, just a whole range of sexual identities and expressions being kind and loving and gentle—the fruits of the spirit.” The Tyson House holds a reputation on campus as one of the most open and affirming campus ministries, and Tirro said he hopes to keep it that way. For him, the LGBTQA+ community is an indispensable part of the congregation. He said without them, the image of God would be incomplete. Tirro said he views word-of-mouth as the strongest form of Evangelism, and always focuses on ensuring that individuals view the Tyson House as a safe space where people receive “an experience of being welcomed and affirmed and valued as they are for who they are.” To further the Tyson House’s reputation as an open environment, Lovett established a program called “Reconciling Spaces,” designed to facilitate respectful dialogue among LGBTQA+ members and heterosexual members of the congregation. Although it has only been active for this semester, Lovett said she holds high hopes for the group. “The goal of this ministry is to recognize that the church has caused harm to LGBTQA+ people of any faith and to reconcile the church to LGBTQA+ people,” Lovett said. “That doesn’t mean dragging them into church. It means healing wounds that LGBTQA+ people have because of the church.” One movement in the new program involves an interfaith discussion group every other See ORGANIZATIONS on Page 5
PRIDE
ORGANIZATIONS continued from Page 4 Tuesday where LGBTQA+ individuals of any faith can come share their religious experiences— the good and the bad. Lovett said her next step is to institute Safe Zone training for clergy members that will tackle everything from basic LGBTQA+ terminology to lofty, theological questions behind being an affirming church. Lovett said the church needs this training now more than ever before it completely polarizes itself. “In LGBTQ+ communities, there’s a lot of distrust of the church and for good reason,” Lovett explained. “It’s kind of hard to explain to people what we’re doing without igniting suspicion, which is understandable. I’m a bisexual Christian, and I’m still skeptical of churches.” It is Lovett’s hope that open, facilitated discussion practices will aid in “closing the gap” between LGBTQA+ individuals and their religious communities. Christian sects aren’t the only religious organizations taking a more socially progressive stand though. Julian Mastri, freshman in linguistics, grew up in Nashville in the Ohabai Shalom Reform Judaism congregation. After coming out as gay at 14, Mastri said he doesn’t recall any highly negative experiences. He said his parents, close family friends and classmates at Nashville School of the Arts were always very supportive. “Almost every Jewish organization is super welcoming and wants you to get involved and come to things,” Mastri said. “They want you to feel included. It’s a minority, and minorities naturally just want to bond together.” Deborah Oleshansky, UTK Hillel coordinator, supported Mastri’s assessment on the positive relationship between the LGBTQA+ community and Judaism. Although she admitted that they lack the programs specifically dedicated to LGBTQA+ inclusiveness seen at the Tyson House, Oleshansky emphasized the presence of LGBTQA+ leadership in the congregation. That being said, Reform Judaism offers a lot of freedom in general compared to the orthodox or moderate sects of the faith, including free thought in worship. “Faith to me is a much more personal thing,” Mastri said. “Your faith is how you view the
Thursday, October 8, 2015 • The Daily Beacon
world, how you view how God works and how you view processes in nature and what drives all that. You are still able to be a part of that community and go to services and participate in prayer, whether you’re praying to connect with your community or to connect with God or both.” Mastri said in Judaism, gender identity and sexuality aren’t such hot button issues in comparison to Christian communities because of the cultural encouragement of free-thinking, critical thinking and debate along with the ideal of a “Mensch.” “It’s just being a good person, being a nice person and doing good deeds for other people,” Mastri said, defining Mencsh. “Even if you may not agree with somebody, it’s okay to debate that with them, but it’s not necessarily okay to deem that completely improper.” Hancen Sale, senior at Bearden High School, said he experienced this sort of acceptance without full approval from some members of his community when he revealed his sexual identity. “A lot of them are in a place where they don’t find anything to be wrong with the LGBTQA+ community, and they’ll go so far as to say that LGBTQA+ people are right and homosexuality is okay in the Bible,” Sale shared. “But others who are more conservative would probably say, ‘The question isn’t really whether it’s right or wrong. The question is how do we best love you.’ “That’s a pretty cool outlook I would say.” Although Sale left his parish of Cedar Springs after his theological journey showed him that the church didn’t line up with his beliefs, he maintained that he was never treated badly there, but just never felt at home. In the eyes of Tirro, situations like Sale’s are unfortunate in that they are so preventab le with a little more compassion and understanding. He said two things are missing at the heart of the issue of equal LGBTQA+ rights. “I don’t even like calling it an issue,” Tirro confessed. “I think a deeper issue that relates to this is that change makes people uncomfortable. Dealing with something that doesn’t fit your current understanding is uncomfortable. Learning to manage your discomfort such that you can be loving to someone you might not fully understand, who might even be yourself.” For a list of LGBTQA+ affirming congregations in TN, go to http://etnfaith4equality. weebly.com.
5
6
PRIDE
The Daily Beacon • Thursday, October 8, 2015
My sexuality isn’t the whole story or me, being out on campus hasn’t been as much of a struggle as it has been for others I know. I’m comfortable with the person I am now, and if it makes others uncomfortable that I’m being myself, that’s their problem. I’ve met some of the best friends of my life through t h e LGBTQA+ and ally ALYSSA LOVEDAY o rga n i z a tions I’m involved with on campus, and, the way I see it, I could either keep my sexuality private and lead one kind of life or come out and live openly as a gay person. The only problem I’ve had when telling people that I’m openly lesbian is that from then on out, that’s all they really see me as. I can honestly tell you that I am more than my sexuality, and people — especially in the South — can’t seem to understand that. Living in Knoxville, I don’t have the same luxury as most couples on campus to take my girlfriend to get coffee, or hold hands walking to class without getting a nasty look and feeling degraded. It can be hard living in a community where a majority of its members picket and berate you for your sexual orientation. However, I believe the state is finally seeing progress, and that’s all we can really ask for. With the attempt to introduce gender-neutral pronouns to campus, the LGBTQA+ community saw how many allies we really have, especially in the face of attack. Seeing faculty and students go through Safe Zone training and incorporate these gender-neutral pronoun introductions at the start of meetings and class sessions was truly heartwarming. Now, being an upperclassman and having a better understanding of how a college campus functions, I’ve realized that a lot of the issues on campus that concern minorities and equal rights are the result of the majority not understanding our problems or missing the picture rather than intentionally trying to hurt someone. For progress to really take root in Tennessee, more emphasis needs to be placed on education and a willingness to learn about those who are different from you.
F
MY STORY
Dating troubles bring us all together could tell you my coming out story. I could tell you how my life has gotten loads better since I came out. But I won’t. I won’t tell you that my brother is also gay, and outed me when he came out to our parents. I won’t tell you that nobody cared. My family didn’t disown me, and the sky didn’t fall. I won’t tell you that my quality of life has tremendously improved, and that I’m learning to love myself and find my own happiness. No, I’m not going to talk about any of that. I’ll let others write about their personal disparages and the alarming statistics associated with LGBTQA+ youth. This is going to sound like the setup to a bad joke, and it is, kind of. What do a boy whose only responses are in the form of “yes” and JAMES BRANNON “no,” the son of a Baptist preacher and an agnostic who identifies as Mormon have in common? It turns out not much, except they are fun to write about, bringing me to what I’d really like to talk about—my escapades in dating. Why? Because I hope the tales I want to tell are somewhat relatable, and, if nothing else, amusing. For the sake of anonymity, I will refer to the people I’m talking about as boy one, boy two and boy three, respectively. Boy one was cute. I’m sure he has a lot of other redeeming qualities too, but I never found out. We only went on one date. He was the quiet, shy type who loved the outdoors, photography and his dog— at least that’s what his bio read. His texting was fine by anyone’s standards, and, after about a week, I asked him to go to dinner with me. He preemptively told me he would be awkward and shy at first. I reassured him that it would be fine and that I would probably also be awkward and quiet at first too. Lord knows I’m not the most interesting, funny or tactful person. We get to the restaurant and start eating. I was asking open-ended questions to facili-
MY STORY
tate genuine conversation, but he was only responding with one sentence answers and not asking anything in return. I had to resort to the painful interview-esque questions that typically plague first dates and which I detest. The answers didn’t get any better. They turned into one-word responses, the most common of which was “no” followed closely by “yes.” I let us sit in a painfully awkward silence for five minutes just to see if he would say anything. Anything at all. He didn’t. He talked the most on the subject of his dog, but by the end of the date, I hadn’t even learned his dog’s name. He also didn’t touch any of his food, which was annoying. I almost asked him if I could take it home with me. Like, at least take advantage of a free meal? Boy two I dated for about a month. He was kind and sweet. He made me feel good about myself, and we were pretty comfortable around each other. (As an aside, on the third date I read Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Please Master” to him, which is NSFW, and I don’t recommend anyone reading it to someone on a third date). We met at PrideFest over the summer. We kept giving each other the eyes, and, with the help of a drunken guy, he slipped me a note that read “Next time don’t be so shy!” with his phone number. He is also the son of a Baptist preacher. Ironic, I know. Never in a million years did I think I would date a preacher’s son. I still have a text saved on my phone he sent me. It is possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Plus, he has a jaw like an anvil. He was also the first boy I introduced to my brother, who I’m very close with. We went on a double date with my brother and his fiancé (it went great, too, until my brother fell out of his chair in the restaurant because he was so drunk). In short, he was great. So, naturally, I talked myself into ending it before either a.) I ended up hurting him, which is the last thing he deserved, or b.) I got hurt again. I may or may not have told him he wasn’t my type. And, anyways, he has Hobbit feet and I am not about that.** **We are
still friends, and I wish him nothing but the best. Boy three. Boy three still gives me anxiety. Boy three still makes me incredibly mad, and yet, I keep giving him the benefit of the doubt. He is what most people would call a *expletive* boy. Gross, I know. He was the first guy I dated. It too only lasted about a month. Our first date could not have gone any better, except for the fact that he wouldn’t call it a date. We spent three hours in the restaurant, and talked every bit of the time away. We had so much in common. We both loved the outdoors, and both of us are Eagle Scouts. We are in the same major, and have similar interests— who knew people could bond over talking about the merits of utilitarian philosophy and its alternatives on a first date? We even talked about our families, y’all. We fought over the check, which was $40 or so. He won. I left a $20 tip— it was the smallest bill I had. We made it through three seasons of “Game of Thrones” in two weeks on top of all the other time we spent together; that’s more time together than I think I’ve spent with anyone ever. Despite all our similarities, we were also incredibly different. I’m an atheist; he’s an agnostic who identifies as Mormon. He’s never had sweet tea; I live on it. Worst of all, he is stuck in his high school libertarian phase—no offense to the libertarian reader—but I’m a liberal (surprise!). He left me for his ex-boyfriend right before he went out of the country for spring break, over text. Over. Text. This is where I would insert the hand clap emoji if I could. He has his excuses, and, of course, I have accepted them. The answer to the bad joke is that I technically met them all on Tinder. Jokes on me, I know. The point of sharing these experiences, though, is to show that gay or straight or anywhere in between, we are not that different. My love life is no more interesting than the next person’s. In fact, it sounds a lot less interesting than experiences my straight friends have had. We are just ordinary people trying to live our lives. Even with national marriage equality, the LGBTQA+ community is far from gaining equal rights. The best way to bridge this gap is to show that we are not any different from anyone else. It is in our similarities that we find sympathy and empathy. We all just want to love and be loved, and to be able to lead a stable and fulfilling life.
PRIDE
Thursday, October 8, 2015 • The Daily Beacon
7
Coming out isn’t always the hardest part think the first time someone called me gay was the fifth grade. My usually shrill voice had taken a sickly sojourn into a deeper, more hoarse octave in the form of a cold, and Caley Acoste said, “Your voice finally sounds like it’s normal.” In seventh grade, when it was time to pick roommates for the school trip to Atlanta, I overheard Ryan McGee express disdain at having been assigned my roommate, when I was two spaces ahead of him in the lunch line— “But, is he going to move on me at night?” In 10th grade, my parents ADAM WEATHERELL found my internet history and met me the next morning with the door closed, “But that’s not actually what you like, is it Adam?” And in the summer of my senior year, I finally fell in love with Will Hawkins. I think back on fifth grade, because even though I didn’t yet realize exactly how I was different, it was apparent that in some ways I was. There were things that signified me as atypical from the WASP-y suburb my parents chose for me: the higher shrill tones of my voice, the way I walk or even how I animate my hands when I speak. People talk about how the most difficult part of being gay is the act of coming out, but for me it was not. It never was. It doesn’t even hold a candle. It was the years after realizing I was different, where I consumed myself with hiding what made me different. I focused all my thoughts, all my creative energy, on masking my voice, my walk, my mannerisms, my interests, my thoughts, my desires. I masked whole parts of myself because I knew they made me unlovable. I denied most of myself because I hated myself. I was alone. I was terrified. I was queer. I really thought I had it down, which is almost laughable now. I’ve always been gregarious, but in my efforts to deny myself, I had cut off all chance for connection. I was a shell. A well-spoken, well-dressed and kind of funny white kid capable of charming many but befriending few. So, I spent most weekends watching TV. My parents had an extensive cable package, and it included an LGBT+ channel. Late at night, they would air reruns of a Stars drama that detailed the lives of a group of four to five gay guys in some Northeastern city. It was really my only enculturation into the homoworld. After midnight, I would follow these
MY STORY
obscene escapades, place hope in a world that extended outside of a Baptist Church and wonder if I would ever be as slutty and glamorous as the men on TV. It was easier to focus on a future of possibility than to admit how melancholic my life had become. “When I get to ( … ), I’ll be happy and accepted and loved and hopefully not have HIV.” “When I’m there, I can date who I want, stop talking to my parents, maybe even pierce a nipple. Who knows?” (I was a really melodramatic high school student.) The mythical hunky-heaven I so desperately poured my energy into achieving was most certainly going to be a private school in the Northeast where my vote would count and people would stop asking me to go to church. Of course I would receive a full ride— I’m in AP math. My senior summer, I ended up at a scholar program with a top 15 school, and that’s where I met Will. He was the first person I held hands with, which is insane that that was even a step. He was insanely intelligent. He could relate to me on a visceral level, and he was unafraid to like Nicki Minaj or dance to Lady Gaga in the shower. He was also my counselor. Will was the first person I ever met who didn’t consume himself with masking parts of his identity to appease others, and I found him intoxicating. Even the cheesiest of love songs would give me pause when I thought of them in relation to him. I returned to high school with a new sense of self but otherwise still alone. He and I would not work out, but, as much as I’d rather not admit, he began a catharsis in me that still continues. I still cringe when people use the word “gay” as a pejorative, and a part of me still adopts more straight acting tendencies than are true to my nature. However, I am no longer bound by an unequivocal hatred for who and where I am. Knoxville is by no means the homo-heaven I hoped to find myself in, but I don’t need one anymore. I have learned to accept parts of myself I always thought I needed others to accept first. I don’t need to lower my voice, walk straighter or dilute my mannerisms. I don’t need to be in a place of acceptance to know that I am accepted. Most of all, I don’t need to be loved to know that I am lovable. My name is Adam Carrington Weatherell. I am 22. I have brown hair and blue eyes. I like Lady Gaga and camping. I’m still not sure where I’m going in college, and I am queer. Go Vols.
How my two moms made me who I am oming into this world 18 years ago, I had no clue who my parents would be. Like most people, I had no clue what kind of people they would be, what their passions were, who they worked for or their background. Or that they would be lesbians. Both my parents grew up in completely different places. One mom grew up in the popularly intolerant state of Alabama while the other grew up in the suburban area of Buffalo, New York. They were able to come together and raise me in Maryland. As a little girl, I never saw their relationship as a different or bad thing. My parents never mentioned whether it was right or wrong. My elementary school principal MARISSA MUNGER always p ra i s e d me and told me how lucky I was to have two moms that loved me. As a little girl, I never understood why she said this to me, but as I grew older I began to understand more. My parents never told me what was right or wrong in terms of sexuality. They let me form my own opinions about who I wanted to date or what my opinion on gay marriage was. I was never pressured to be gay or straight. I grew up to have my own, personal preference to men. People have always asked me “Is it weird to know you don’t have a dad?” or “Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you had a dad?” Honestly, my answer has always been no to both. I was raised by two women who have been
C
MY STORY
strong their whole lives, facing many challenges like being deaf and coming from poor families. They raised me to be independent, to handle myself and become successful on my own. If there are two people together who can raise a child to be independent, mature and intelligent, then what’s the issue? I know there are people who were raised to think gay couples are bad, that they should not be together because of their religious views or other personal opinions. I understand that everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I’ve never hated or treated someone differently just because their opinion might not align with my parents’ choices. But I hope my story can shed a unique light on the subject and help open up other perspectives. Looking back and seeing how much I have grown and where I am now, I’m proud to show people that you don’t have to have a dad or a father-figure in your life to be successful or happy. My elementary school principal constantly reminding me how special I was to have two moms used to always confuse me. Now that I’m older, I’ve realized she wanted to ensure that my perception of my parents stayed positive no matter what others would say. I grew up more in the deaf community than the gay community, but growing up with lesbian parents definitely opened my eyes to diversity and how important it is to get to know people regardless of their differences. My lesbian parents molded me into who I am today: soft-hearted, genuine, independent, mature and strong. I wouldn’t be this person if it weren’t for watching two strong women raise me together.
8
PRI
The Daily Beacon • Thursday, October 8, 2015
1960s Prior to 1962, sodomy (a sexual act involving oral or anal penetration) was considered a felony by Tennessee state law. Then the Model Penal Code in 1962, Illinois became the first state to remove legal repercussions against consensual sodomy and only made it illegal to solicit for sodomy. Over the next few decades, various states, including Tennessee in 1989, lifted punishment on sodomy through legislation and various levels of jurisdiction.
1974
1977
Tennessee legislature officially repealed laws punishing consensual sodomy.
POLICY THROUGH THE YEARS
U.S. Civil Service Commission stops banning gay men and lesbians from federal jobs in all 50 states.
Tennessee’s General Assembly passed legislation that prohibited the state from altering the sex on birth certificates for transgender people.
Tennessee created laws that punish hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation, but no legal precedent that prohibits discrimination based of sexual orientation or gender identity. Though gender identity is a category in the list of federal hate crimes, it is still not considered as such under Tennessee state law.
2000 1989 1996 The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled that the state’s sodomy statute was unconstitutional from the Campbell v. Sundquist case that year. Rules prohibiting sodomy had been in place in Tennessee since the 1800s, but this was the first time it was repealed for both heterosexual and homosexual couples in the state. In June 2003, the landmark case, Lawrence v. State, repealed more unconstitutional sodomy statutes in Texas and 14 other states.
UT was ranked the 14th least LGBT friendly campus in August 2014 by the Princeton Review. This is no surprise given the Volunteer State’s less than glorious history of legislation and policies that set up barriers for the LGBTQA+ community in Tennessee. Here’s a breakdown of our history regarding the community.
200 s
con at le w as co re lo
re fo loc Th a
re sup
C afte v p
IDE
The Daily Beacon • Thursday, October 8, 2015
2004
9
Tennessee Equality Project, the state’s primary LBGTQA+ support group, is founded in Nashville. The group has lobbied against a referendum to the 2006 ban of same-sex marriage, firing of a lesbian Belmont soccer coach and the “Don’t Say Gay” bill proposed by former Tennessee legislators Bill Dunn and Stacey Campfield. The organization receives funds from the national office of the Human Rights Campaign, which is housed in San Francisco, California.
01
Paul Scarbrough was not selected to return to his role as director and uperintendent of Morgan County School after he nsidered a request to speak t a predominantly gay and esbian church. Though he was unaware of the church’s ssociation with LBGTQA+ ommunity, he declined the equest. A few months later, ocal papers discovered he had indeed accepted the equest, and was criticized or his association with the cal LBGTQA+ community. The board received critcism as a result of Scarbrough’s actions and voted not to etain him in his position as perintendent. Scarborough sued in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and won, er alleging the school board violated his rights to equal protection and freedom of speech.
2009
The Williams Institute at UCLA released an in depth study on cases of employer discrimination in Tennessee based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The 15 page study documented instances of discrimination from the late 1980s through the mid 2000s. Currently, the Volunteer State lacks a statewide legal precedent to protect LBGTQA+ individuals from discrimination and hate crimes in the workplace.
2015
Chattanooga voted in favor to repeal Ordinance 12781 which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender for city employees.
Two Tennessee legislators, Rep. Mark Prody and Sen. Mae Beavers of Mount Juliet, Tenn., confirmed their response to the June 26 Supreme Court decision in the form of the Defense of Natural Marriage Act. The bill pushes that the state still recognize marriage as solely between a man and a woman.
2014 2014 2011 The state Senate voted 20 to 8 in favor of the Equal Access to Interstate Commerce Act, which prevented local governments from supplementing, modifying or deviating from any state level, anti-discriminatory practices or policies. The bill was signed by Gov. Bill Haslam on May 24, 2011 after the Tennessee House of Representatives voted 70 to 26 in favor in the bill.
2015 The 6th Circuit Court, which governs Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, broke with the unanimous decision of circuit courts to uphold marriage discrimination, and reversed six lower court rulings in favor of freedom to marry. The court upheld marriage bans in these states. Shortly following this, legal teams in all these states spoke on their intent for review from the Supreme Court, which would later bring national resolution in June 2015.
The Supreme of Court of the United States ruled in 5-4 decision that same-sex marriage was legal in 50 states, which, of course, included the Volunteer State. Bans on samesex marriage, traditionally held in the state, were immediately overturned, and all samesex couples had the option to marry in a legally recognized space. Two of the collective plaintiffs include UT faculty members Sophy Jesty and Val Tanco who appealed the Sixth Circuit Court for upholding the ban on samesex marriage in Tennessee and three states under its jurisdiction.
10
The Daily Beacon • Thursday, October 8, 2015
PRIDE
LGBTQA+ VISIBILITY GROWS IN THE MEDIA “You can’t be what you can’t see,” Marie Wilson, founder and president emeritus of The White House Project, once said. The media gets a bad rep for lacking diversity, and rightfully so. However, directors and writers are finally trying to be more representative of the entirety of society, especially the LGBTQA+ community as of late. Here are some of the best films, books and TV shows either exclusively about LGBTQA+ people or with strong characters in the community.
MOVIES 1. PARIS IN BURNING 2. A SINGLE MAN 3. PARIAH 4. BOYS DON’T CRY 5. BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER BOOKS 1. MIDDLESEX 2. ANNIE ON MY MIND 3. THE COLOR PURPLE 4. FUN HOME 5. BOY MEETS BOY TV SHOWS 1. FAKING IT 2. TRANSPARENT 3. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK 4. EMPIRE 5. HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
PRIDE
Thursday, October 8, 2015 • The Daily Beacon
SOMEWHERE ON THE A-SPECTRUM Agender, aromantic and asexual people face misconceptions, aggression Hannah Moulton Copy Chief
The “A” in LGBTQIA+ does not stand for “allies.” It stands for “asexual.” A person who identifies as asexual does not experience sexual attraction. It is not the same as celibacy; asexuality is a sexual identity that isn’t a cognitive choice. Katie Kleinkopf, a graduate teaching associate in UT’s Women’s Studies Department who studies gender and sexuality, said those who identify as asexual are by no means incapable of having, or even enjoying sex. “Some asexual individuals find sex intellectually interesting; some masturbate and some engage in sex itself and can reach climax,” Kleinkopf said. “Asexuality exists along a spectrum, encompassing a wide range of characteristics and behaviors.”
The A-Spectrum includes asexual, aromantic and agender experiences. Each exists in separate parts of a person’s identity. Just as asexual people don’t experience sexual attractions, aromantics don’t experience romantic attraction. People that identify as agender don’t associate with any gender Genevieve Jeter, senior in BCMB, identifies as asexual and leads the asexual and aromantic discussion group at the Pride Center. “When we talk about identity, you have this thing off to the side that’s called physicality,” Jeter said. “But aside from that, you have gender identity, you have sexual orientation, which is based on sexual attraction and then you have romantic orientation, which is based off romantic attraction.” A person can fit anywhere on these planes, and one’s sexual attraction does not have to align with their gender identity or romantic orientation. When Jeter was in middle school, she said she began to realize that her idea of sex did not align with the ideas shared by her peers. “I thought that sexual attraction was like thinking about going to the movies with someone and white picket fences and butterflies and snuggling,” Jeter said.
Jeter said she was bullied for her lack of sexual attraction throughout high school. In one traumatizing instance, Jeter said she was held down and forced to watch a pornographic scene while her eyes were pried open. The trauma did not end there. Jeter later experienced what is called corrective rape, a hate-crime where people are raped because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The sexual assaults Jeter experienced often occurred when she explained she was asexual, she said, and her assaulter wanted to “show” her that she was wrong. When Jeter came to college, she fully embraced her asexuality. Now 26, Jeter is happily married to her husband. Aloise Wrestler, an undecided freshman, identifies as aromantic, agender and grayasexual, which means that, on occasion, they feel some sexual attraction. For Wrestler, they discovered their aromanticism around the beginning of high school. Wrestler witnessed their peers talk about their crushes and began to wonder when they would also begin to experience romantic feelings. “So I was like ‘I saw them and they were really cool, and I wanted to be their friend, so is that the same thing?’” Wrestler said.
Wrestler began dating during their sophomore year, but explained that once their partner expressed their romantic feelings, Wrestler couldn’t reciprocate. Wrestler’s friends began to call them names like “emotionless” and “sociopath.” Wrestler explained a time when they invited an exboyfriend to their house to help with a project, but when he arrived, he verbally assaulted Wrestler for their lack of romantic attachment. “I thought if I kept (dating), eventually it would probably make sense to me, and I’ll feel these crush things,” Wrestler said. “And then it would never happen.” Wrestler said they looked up definitions and found the words to explain how they felt, experiencing relief after coming across a community on Tumblr that explained how they felt. Both Jeter and Wrestler’s examples are just a small sample of what a person who identifies as asexual, aromantic or agender might experience. A person can fit anywhere on the A-spectrum. To learn more about the A-Spectrum, visit the Pride Center Website for group discussion information.
11
12
PRIDE
The Daily Beacon • Thursday, October 8, 2015
DRAG SHOWS PROVIDE OUTLET FOR GENDER EXPRESSION Jenna Butz
Editor-in-Chief When Jonathan Shoemaker was in middle school, he was often bullied for being soft-spoken. After having grown tired of the bullies, the senior in theater decided to bust out of his shell. “Most people reacted more towards my willingness to say and do the things everyone wouldn’t,� Shoemaker said. “So I used that social ability in a blunt and comedic way that people took interest in.� And that’s when his drag persona, Victoria Frost, was born. “And that secondary persona that exists in attention is where Victoria lives—high upon a beautiful and deadly frozen throne,� Shoemaker explained. “She is the unfiltered embodiment of my confidence, comedy and sensuality.� Thomas Tran, junior in anthropology and vice president of volOUT, only does drag for the Sex Week/volOUT drag show, where he performs as Thalia Black: the Greek muse for comedy. His favorite part is putting the look itself together and “figuring how I want to present myself. � Tran’s on-stage character, though, doesn’t stray far from his everyday life. “I believe that my drag persona is simply
an extension of my own personality,� Tran explained. “I’m very much the same person when I’m in drag. For other people, it may be different.� Drag performers define drag in multiple ways, and its meaning changes from performer to performer. Some see it strictly as entertainment, others as a way to explore their sexuality or gender identity. Regardless, drag is a form of expression. “It’s an art form,� Tran said. “It’s a way to express artistic ideas, and that’s just my personal idea of it.� Shoemaker said he personally likes the theatrical side of drag—and the reactions his performances engender in his audience. “You can see the life you’re giving to most of the people who watch you (if you’re any good),� Shoemaker joked. “People are just astonished at the barriers you’re willing to break. But that’s the point of it. Afterwards, most people tell me I confuse their sexuality. Which I take as a success.� Tran pointed out there is a misconception that all drag kings and queens are transgender. Even though Tran and other drag queens may use feminine pronouns when in drag, many still ascribe to their cisgender pronouns normally. Shoemaker said people may also think of drag
TUTORING
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
7(6735(3 (;3(576 *5( *0$7 /6$7 35$;,6 &RUH )RU RYHU \HDUV 0LFKDHO . 6PLWK 3K ' DQG KLV WHDFKHUV KDYH KHOSHG 87 VWXGHQWV SUH SDUH IRU WKH *5( *0$7 /6$7 35$;,6 &RUH 2XU SUR JUDPV RIIHU LQGLYLGXDO WXWRULQJ DW D UHDVRQDEOH SULFH )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ FDOO ZZZ WHVWSUHSH[SHUWV FRP
%DLOH\ V 6SRUWV *ULOOH :H UH +LULQJ -RLQ WKH 3DUW\ 6HUYHUV NLWFKHQ VWDII KRVWV $SSO\ DW WKH VWRUH 1 6HY HQ 2DNV 'U .QR[YLOOH 71 RU RQ WKH :HE DW ZZZ IR[DQGKRXQGFDUHHUV FRP
&HUWLILHG 1XUVH $LGH &1$
)XOO WLPH 3DUW WLPH 3UH HPSOR\PHQW GUXJ WHVWLQJ UHTXLUHG ([F SD\ EHQHILWV IRU ) 7 (2( $SSO\ LQ 3HUVRQ :LQGVRU *DUGHQV $VVLVWHG /LY LQJ &HQWUDO $YHQXH 3LNH ZLQGVRU JDUGHQV#PVQ FRP
3DUW WLPH QDQQ\ QHHGHG 7 5 $0 30 IRU PRQWK ROG LQ :HVW .QR[YLOOH KU 3OHDVH UHVSRQG ZLWK UH VXPH DQG UHIHUHQFHV WR PHODQLH Z OHZLV #JPDLO FRP
/LNH PRQH\" /LNH %HHU" 1RZ KLULQJ DOO SRVLWLRQV 3OHDVH DS SO\ GDLO\ DW 'RZQWRZQ *ULOO DQG %UHZHU\ 6RXWK *D\ 6W
The 2015 Drag Show was held at the University Center that was recently torn down. • File Photos queens as “overly feminine gay men who want to be or act like women.â€? “But that’s rarely true,â€? Shoemaker explained. “Most of the queens I know love performing. And drag gives them a readily available means to perform, and make people enjoy themselves. Some queens love dancing, some love gymnastics, some love comedy, but they all love improving their audiences mood more than anything.â€? Though UT hosts a drag show each year through volOUT and Sex Week, Tran admitted that Knoxville’s drag scene is lacking, especially compared to larger cities. Since the Carousel, which used to reside beside Vol Hall, closed, Tran said the better drag performers have since scattered, making it “not as fun as it used to be.â€? Though the campus drag show tends to go over well among the UT community, Shoemaker said he’s not sure most people, both in and outside the LGBTQA+ community, are quite as accepting of the larger drag community because of the unconventional ideas they are introduced to. “Most people are afraid of the feelings that successful drag makes them experience, like questioning their sexuality or becoming curious,â€? Shoemaker said. “They usually feel shame in this, but they need to know it’s normal. Seeing a visually stimulating drag queen doesn’t make a
EMPLOYMENT
.QR[YLOOH V +LJKHVW 9ROXPH :LQH 6WRUH LV VHHNLQJ D SDUW WLPH FDVKLHU 'D\V QLJKWV DQG ZHHNHQGV DYDLODEOH $S SO\ LQ SHUVRQ RQO\ DW 7XUNH\ &UHHN :LQH 6SLULWV 7XUNH\ 'U .QR[YLOOH 71
straight man gay. He’s appreciating the feminine appearance that he’s seeing, not the carefully (and sometimes uncomfortably) hidden bits. He visualizes what he wants to be under there, and for him that visualization is a heterosexual one.� In the LGBTQA+ community, it’s heteronormative ideals of how to be masculine and feminine that persist in the community that ostracize drag kings and queens from everyone else. “It mainly pertains in the gay community due to internalized homophobia,� Tran explained. “It’s this whole idea that gay men have to be masculine so that we can prove ourselves to the heteronormative, straight community. So, ‘feminine’ men, or drag queens, get ridiculed because we don’t uphold this certain standard of masculinity—a really toxic standard of masculinity.� And Tran has a response to these conservative ideals: “They should get over it,� Tran said, smirking. “They should get over this internalized homophobia that they have within themselves, and be free and be who you want to be because, this is true for straight and gay men, this really toxic level of masculinity that they think they have to uphold is not who they are. They end up hurting themselves on mental and emotional levels doing that.�
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
1RZ KLULQJ 6DOHV UHS QHHGHG IRU ORFDOO\ RZQHG YLGHR JDPH VWRUH +LJK HQHUJ\ DQG IDVW SDFHG HQYLURQPHQW VR SUHYL RXV VDOHV H[SHULHQFH LV SUH IHUUHG KU FRP PLVVLRQV (PDLO UHVXPH OXWKHUHSSHUKDUW#JPDLO FRP
:KDW 6RQJ %HVW 'HVFULEHV <RXU :RUN (WKLF"
&ODVVLILHG DGV FDQ ZRUN IRU \RX &DOO WR RUGHU \RXU DG WRGD\
$QVZHU E\ XVLQJ WKH OLQN WR DS SO\ KWWS WKHWRPDWRKHDG FRP ZRUN LQGH[ KWPO 0DUNHW 6TXDUH DQG .LQJVWRQ 3LNH *DOOHU\ 6KRSSLQJ &HQWHU 7KH 7RPDWR +HDG 1RZ KLULQJ ZDLW VWDII OLQH FRRNV SUHS FRRNV DQG GLVKZDVKHUV 6WDUWLQJ SD\ KU ZLWK PHDO EHQHILWV
PRIDE
Thursday, October 8, 2015 • The Daily Beacon
13
Get Fuzzy • Darby Conley
NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY In honor of the late, beloved crossword constructor Merl Reagle, today we present a classic puzzle of his from the 1999 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
1
2
3
4
1
I’m Not A Hipster • John McAmis
6 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27
Cartoons of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
31 33 34 35 36 38 R A P I D S
I N A T I E
S I N T A X
R E H E A T S
H E E L T A P
T E L L M A M A
E R M E T Y R S E Z M E S B O S R U T A L N U L O K O R E R I E S N K
39 Key to understanding the theme of this puzzle 43 Title villain of a “Star Trek” film 44 May, for one 45 Peeping ___ 46 1940s war zone: Abbr. 47 Prepares to fire 48 Greek god of equal opportunity? 53 Greek god of electricity? 55 Actor Ryan 56 Hit bonus, for short 57 Poison indicators, on bottles 58 Butler’s last words 59 Goad gently 60 ___ alai 62 Acting exercise 63 Cut a rug 64 Greek god of healthy hair? 67 Greek god of mercy? 69 Greek god of tangy drinks? 70 Goof-offs 71 Weapon-free 72 Fabric meas.
P I A N O
F R I T O
S H A N I
M O W
T T N O A P P S
C A D
A R C B A D I N W O E A N R D A F I R K T Y E E M R S E R S A H
C H A R D
H O R R I B A L R E M O J R O Y G O O U O S
E N V O G U E
S E E N O T E
A M I D S T
K A N S A S
6
15
8
23
24
9
10
11
12
28
29
30
51
52
16 18
21
19
20
22
25
26
31
27
32
33
35 39
36
40
34
37
38
41
43
42
44
46
45
47
53
48
54
49
50
55
57 60 64
7
14
17
ACROSS Small group, as of trees Hibernating Lush Greek god of bondage? Greek goddess of learning? Greek goddess of communication? Slogging areas “You want to go ___?” Had wings 23-Across and others Wear away Slugger’s first name Young ’un Does a number on Greek god of fertility? Greek goddess of messages? Used bookstore containers Pep rally cry Catch some rays Bumpy Sicilian’s millions
5
13
56
58
61
59
62 65
66
63 67
69
70
71
72
DOWN 1 Cable channel that broadcasts trials 2 Silver streaks 3 Weapons in action films 4 Trysted 5 Do before, as a gift chore 6 Bumpers of Arkansas 7 Common lunch hour 8 Grammys category 9 Lt. commander of ’60s TV 10 Frequently 11 Hawaiian goose 12 Poet on whose work “Cats” is based: Abbr. 13 Tony Blair, for one 14 Nothing more than 15 Be a ham 16 Kennedy and others 19 Base clearers
68
22 Cuts in expenses 23 Macy’s Parade locale 24 Dash units 26 Disparaging remark 27 Best Picture of 1958 28 Rock’s Police or Cream, e.g. 29 Get through work 30 “Does” or “doesn’t” follower 32 Where to see “Outside the Lines” 33 America’s only bachelor president 37 Province opp. Detroit 38 Life’s partner 39 Baba au ___ 40 Tombstone lawman 41 Club aliases, for short 42 Work hard 43 Mauna ___ 47 “Facts ___ facts”
49 Moriarty, to Holmes 50 Wrinkle removers 51 You can count on it 52 “Boxcars” 54 Performer of a banishing act 55 “To Spring” and others 58 Air force heroes 59 Had feelings (for) 60 Sign up 61 ___ mater 62 Hillside thrill-ride need 63 Emmy-winning Tyne 64 Winter woe 65 “___ shocked … shocked!” 66 String between B and F 68 “By yesterday”
14
PRIDE
The Daily Beacon • Thursday, October 8, 2015
5
WAYS TO BE A BETTER ALLY
College students share a responsibility to promote inclusivity and diversity on campus. After all, universities were founded on the idea that challenging perspectives facilitate intellectual conversations. If you’re wondering how you fit into this special issue as a cisgender, heterosexual student—fret not. There’s a place for you too. Being an ally isn’t always as simple as it seems, and there are ways you can do it wrong. Allies take intentional steps to actively help mar-
ginalized groups feel welcome and empowered. Here’s how you can stand up for your LGBTQA+ friends, classmates and fellow humans of the world. Listen when we talk about systems of oppression that center on gender and sexual orientation. Listen when we’re complaining about the lack of representation for people like us. Even if we’re just complaining about the bigot we ran into on the way to class today, please just listen to what we’re saying. Listening is key to learning about the issues that cisgender, heterosexual people are not typically exposed to. Don’t speak over us in your attempt to be an ally. One of the worst things an ally can do is to center themselves in a discussion about gender and sexual orientation, effectively shutting down the voice of the marginalized person. You can’t understand and articulate these issues on the same level we can, and, typically, when an ally overpowers the group they’re supporting, they end up making harmful mistakes that can further
alienate someone. To be an ally is to be a supporter, not a savior. Amplify the voices of the LGBTQA+ people in your life. As someone who is cisgender and heterosexual, you have social privileges that a lot of us don’t. You are allowed more space than us in this particular society. So, share your space with a marginalized person so that they may share their experiences. Use your privilege to provide us a platform. We don’t need non-marginalized people to speak for us. We can speak for ourselves. Just make space for us to let our voices be heard. Don’t feel guilty about not sharing our experience; it’s not helpful. Saying “I hate that I’m straight” and resenting your social privilege is really just making the issue about yourself. It derails the conversation away from issues of gender and orientation. Progress cannot be made if we are too busy comforting allies rather than confronting reality. Being an ally is likely going to be uncomfortable from time to time as you
are forced to evaluate how you fit into a society that discriminates based on gender and sexuality constructs. Don’t let that discomfort become more important to you than the oppression. Don’t expect to be praised. At the end of the day, being ally means you are taking steps to become a more educated, more tolerant and generally more decent person. Being tolerant of a person is not a revolutionary act. Being aware of the dangers marginalized groups face is not a revolutionary act. Being a decent person is not a being a hero. Please don’t expect marginalized people to view these things as such. We’re all people, and here, we’re all Vols. We should all be learning about, analyzing and working to end the struggles of those who are different from us. Diversity is not just about having different types of people in one space. Diversity is compassionate, progressive interaction that examines the nuances of our lives. We should all be working to make campus a better, more inclusive space. Courtney Anderson is a senior in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at cander67@vols.utk.edu.
PRIDE
Thursday, October 8, 2015 • The Daily Beacon
15
Student embraces identity, expresses self through poetry Hayley Brundige “CHAKRA CHECK” Multimedia Editor
JT Taylor is more than one thing. And she embraces the complexity of the many things that make her who she is. “I have so many different identities in my knapsack, being queer and black and gender queer and a huge nonconformist in general,” Taylor said. Taylor, who identifies with the pronouns he, she and they, was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. When college application season came around, though, she was set on not going to school in her home city. She said it was a “rebellious decision” to move six hours away from home to attend UT. “My mom gave me money to apply for (University of Memphis), and I went and got my eyebrows done with it because I was just determined to go to UT,” Taylor said. Taylor, now a senior studying political science and global studies, has found a home at several organizations on campus. She said she has created several “families” at different organizations, like the Pride Center and the Progressive Student Alliance, a local chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops. Through her interactions with other queer women and the influence of Pride Center director Donna Braquet, Taylor began to feel more secure in her gender identity. Taylor came to terms with the fact that “being queer didn’t mean fighting all the time; it meant enjoying it.” At the same time, Taylor was finding her strength as an organizer and activist. Her work, always focused on lifting
up the voices of marginalized people, has included fighting for a living wage for campus workers, working with the Movement for Black Lives, and traveling to Ferguson, Missouri in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death. This past summer, Taylor went to New Orleans to organize with UNITE HERE, a labor union working throughout the United States and Canada. Her passion for lifting up the stories of often unheard voices translates into another one of her passions: poetry and spoken word. The art form gives her a medium to express her moments of anger, her feelings of peace and her observations about the world in a way that makes sense. “Poetry makes what I think sound a little more sane, a little less kooky,” she said. Taylor was able to find another family at the Mahogany Soul Cafe, a monthly open mic night for UT students put on by the Office of Multicultural Student Life. The cafe, which she now hosts, welcomes people of all backgrounds, races and identities to share their individual experiences. Taylor said her poetry delves into the issues of black erasure, appropriation and oppression. “As I got older and started really thinking about why we treat people the way we do, I started getting into sociology,” she said. “So I started writing a lot about black rage and about black sadness – just really emphasizing any poetry that was making sure black voices were heard.” For other LGBTQA+ students at UT, she has one message: it’s going to be ok, and there are people here who want to welcome you with open arms. “I want everyone to be passionate about living,” Taylor said. “And to do it unapologetically.”
Do you know why you get dizzy? It’s the fluid behind yours ears and eyes that makes everything blur. Blurring blue bruises into rosey spins and funnels and tunnels into love and your senses are still dull. Floating dizzily. Spinning and dipping in and out of reality. Eyes and ears out of tandem. Do you know why you’re blessed when you sneeze? Your heart pauses … stops for a second like buckled knees. To put it plainly, it’s a charleyhorse to the arteries.That’s how it feels when the world’s spit hits the back of my neck. That’s how this world covered in white sheets blows. Claiming and guzzling oceans that haven’t even touched shore. Claim what you want but I’m no beach! I don’t have the privilege of walking away. I AM AN ISLAND!!!!!!!! Trapped and swarmed, I feel alone.I can’t let the sheets swallow me whole. That’s why I panic when the cloudy day sky stands over me. Don’t crush my petals,my crown,don’t make them fold into me. Do you know how long it took to bring this timid crown out of me? She had to build the back door, sneak in and leave the front door cracked for us.They broke the hinges off the front door, they’re coming in. Proud, black, greasy with hair sheen,and we were BAD.And we were MAD. And we had rage that set fire to pages rapidly like erasure. Cultivated a culture so my crown could fit through the front door without crushing my precious diamond petals. Starting from the top,I am.I see from unsheltered and blunt perspectives. I understand, I
speak, I love. I understand that my world is under destruction. I scream rage, speak revolutionary psyche.My heart pumps black love like the richest spouts of oil. And my crown is so tightly bound and coiled. And I love where this is going. Next ...I do, I feel Creating counter and clock wise productions depending on how my petals bend These petals manage me, my hours, bidding on how my soul is spent. I cannot be moved by pride like the egotistical Athena or timed like unattainable Persephone and Demeter. And, if you are not worshiping tar grounds, then you’d better be dethroning those ivory Greeks, those freaks! Down to the nitty gritty with my freedom of speech.Let me speak real and free. Did they not come to African culture like “can I borrow some black? a little Egyptian and East African occupation, bruh I’m gonna bring it right back,” face ass. They never returned it! It only turned to coins, paper, currency and next thing you know the Global South is their house-hold! And then y’all had to press Jesus and nem on ‘em. This coming from you, all unorganized spirituality, pass that shit on. No collection plate coins from me! I do like I speak, it’s that ancient knowledge— it’s been there but it’s unique! It’s imprinted deeper than a thumbprint and when I vent I could fill encyclopedia books
BY JT TAYLOR worth of verses spilling off the page, knocking over the ink just cause it’s too live it won’t lie down. Too animated, there’s no stranger sound.And you can’t ever ask strangers what would it look like and how it sounds; speak it, do it. I feel green and earthy.I feel like blown glass inside.Misshapen from the breath of another. Second hand smoke from one to another. It was a blunted shotgun, her first. And the first time I ever slept in mother earth without perish,I cherished being that close to her root.Someone said we were all stardust, but I contest.The way I feel all stoned and still but I’m just burnt clay.I feel like the breath of the People of the Book without the Euro hooks. Don’t knock parables but be aware though. East Africa said Jesus was shaking dreads and black like coal.I’m drawn in that image. I am curves and coils toasted from clay. Erosion from Sahara Sands made this shape. Pitch black skies and stars cut my cheekbones. My nose is pointed upward to keep from drowning in almond rivers. I am militant, chest rises and handshakes with tight ties and I look you square in the eyes with my third ajar. I am, I feel, I do, I love, I speak, I see, I understand. Understand my millions of destinies and petals and I can choose who loves and loves me not just from watering my chakras in the clay pot.
16
The Daily Beacon â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, October 8, 2015