I think this class has been one of my favorites because of how interactive it was. I thought it was great that Chris asked us to put our pronouns in our names for Zoom if we felt comfortable. As an RA, I have been through a lot of diversity and inclusion training, so I have learned about a lot of the things Chris talked about through those. I think the discussions we were having in class today should be required for all NYU students because it really opens your eyes and shows you how you can be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. I think the community agreements are really important to have at the beginning of meetings, it makes people feel more comfortable and open to sharing their ideas and thoughts. I also appreciated how he defined a lot of terms that we have heard before but may not have known the exact meaning. I also didn’t know the history behind what the word Queer meant and learning about it really makes you surprised. I didn’t know that it meant strange or odd which is incredibly not okay.
It was also eye-opening to hear examples about the wedding cards and how wedding cards are created for heterosexual couples and you have to go to specialized shops to find cards for anyone other than straight people which is ridiculous. I feel like our culture is accepting of LGBTQ+ but no one is making changes to how we function as a culture that assumes everyone is straight until they say otherwise. Also, when we were talking about Sex Education, I think it is so important for kids to get that information no matter what gender or sexuality they are. One time all of my friends were talking about it and ⅖ of us did not get sex education in school and they were both from the South which sadly makes sense but is also not okay. Overall, I think that the LGBTQ+ Center is amazing and they provide so many resources for people who are interested and willing to learn.