I’m super excited to share that I’ve been selected to be a @glaad Campus Ambassador! My fellow ambassadors and I will be working with GLAAD to create a nationwide movement to engage young people in LGBTQ advocacy by providing students with tools to leverage their own networks, media platforms, and create on and offline spaces for education, connection and acceptance. Thanks to much to GLAAD for giving me this amazing opportunity!
As a part of the program, I’m making this post for GLAAD’s #backtoschool campaign! Here’s a little story about my life as an LGBTQ student:
I came out of the closet loudly, and proudly, fairly early in my life (around the end of middle school). It was isolating at times, and it felt lonely to be one of the only out people I knew. While it may have been pretty strange at the time to be so out-and-proud in school where I lived, I never shied away from my identity. In high school, I joined the newly-formed Gay-Straight Alliance. Finally being a part of a group of people in which I felt a sense of belonging was a pivotal experience in my life. I became determined to help other students like me feel heard and included in any way I could. I was so passionate about the group, and eventually ended up co-leading it with my twin! It was so rewarding to be able to give LGBTQ students at my high school a safe space where they felt loved, accepted, and validated. When I began college at Berklee College of Music, I was just as determined to be an advocate for my LGBTQ peers, as homophobia, particularly within the music/ visual media industry, is still alive and well. Currently, I am co-president of Berklee’s LGBT+ United Club with my girlfriend, Michela. We have held performances showcasing queer artists and held fundraisers to benefit local LGBTQ youth in Boston. We often use music as a uniting tool to make Berklee an inclusive and welcoming campus for all students! One of my number one goals is to be involved in advocacy for my fellow LGBTQ classmates to help people understand that their voices matter, and they’re not alone.
If you’d like, share your story, too, using the hashtag #backtoschool !