Coming out is a sensitive topic for many people, and it takes a lot of courage to be honest with yourself and love who you are. SSU offers a safe place each week for queer students to talk about what is going on in their life, get advice, or just listen to peers who are going through similar things. Events like this one build a great sense of community and support for students, which is something that might not always be within reach for everyone. Every Fri. at 1 p.m., Laurel Holmstrom-Keyes will be hosting the Queer Faculty and Students Association (QFaSA) Zoom forum.

The topic of choice for this week’s forum was coming out, which is naturally tough to deal with as a queer person. Each forum will tackle sensitive topics and engage students in important discussions that allow them to feel heard. 

At the beginning of the forum, Holmstrom-Keyes played a video to set the tone for the forum’s topics. This video was light-hearted and humorous, mainly talking about about being gay in a different time in history, and how people overcame challenges.  This humorous video let viewers know that this topic doesn’t always have to be heavy, and students were able to learn terms that are popular in the LGBTQIA+ community. This video highlighted the welcoming and lightheartedness of the LGBTQIA+ community, and how important it is to embrace every person for who they are. 

The stories that presenters shared about their coming out stories were eye-opening, especially with how they came out in a time that was much different than now. The hardships people had to go through as a queer person throughout history were heartbreaking. The forum paved the way for important conversations to happen, which is exactly Holstrom-Keyes’ goal. It is important to honor all students for who they are, and all students in need of a safe space through SSU are encouraged to check out the QFaSA forums.

Commenting on coming out, speakers at the forum stated that, “you have to come out to each person you meet, you decide who you choose to come out to.” With this being such a jarring fact, it shows how important it is for students to have a safe place to hear other people’s experiences and share their own. Coming out is such a special experience for every queer person, and everyone deserves to have a space to look for community or advice to make the process even easier.

With a lack of judgment throughout the forum, students were able to comfortably share their stories. Along with this, faculty members shared their own experiences, which allowed the forum to immediately take on the role of a relaxed, welcoming community space for all.

A professor at the forum stated that, “you keep coming out in each stage of your life,” so hearing their stories about being out at a different time and what that looks like, is sometimes what students need.

By having these conversations, along with providing a forum to engage students in these meaningful topics, this paves the way for students to have a safe, queer space where everyone feels comfortable. It is always normal to love who you want to, and creating an environment where students feel loved and accepted is the exact environment that Sonoma State is trying to create with events like these. By spending time at these forums, students are able to witness a community being made.

Taking part in community events like this one is the first step toward finding a community that accepts you for you. Events like the QFaSA forum are going to take place at SSU throughout Queer History Month, specially curated to welcome all students. Make sure to check out Seawolf Living for all the different types of events that aim to celebrate our queer heroes during the month.