Elizabeth Chinn, Bisexual
Graduate Student, Political Science
INVOLVEMENTS AT OU:
Graduate Student, Political Science
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE OUT?:
Graduate Assistant at the Ohio University's Women's Center and active member in the larger Athens community through volunteer work, club sports, and committee membership.
WHY ARE YOU PROUD?:
First and foremost, it is important to be out for my own peace of mind. Having the freedom and safety to be myself as I go about my day-to-day business makes every other part of my life flow more smoothly. It's also important to be out to provide community and mentorship for other LGBTQQ people, especially young people, to know that their journey is not as solitary as it often feels.
WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART ABOUT COMING OUT?:
I am proud because I am part of a huge, extremely diverse community that is overwhelmingly giving, accepting, and loving.
Originally, I was outed by a faculty member at my high school. The most difficult part of that was feeling so ashamed, so much fear of how my mother would react. I didn't even have a name for what I was or who I loved yet, but I was terrified of it. Having that opportunity to define and explore myself before I presented it to the most important person in my life was very hard. As I grew, it was, and continually is, very hard to explain what bisexuality is and is not in my life; sometimes it feels like there is little understanding or acceptance in the heterosexual or homosexual world.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO COME OUT?:
My best advice for coming out is acknowledgement that it will probably be very, very hard. The acknowledgement that "coming out" is not a single day or single event but a continual process. As you grow, that process can be something that you take fulfillment and empowerment from. It is beautiful, even when so difficult, because you are beautiful.
THOUGHTS FOR NON-LGBT PEOPLE ABOUT LGBT PEOPLE AND CONCERNS:
Even the most casual and offhand of comments can be burned into someone's image of themselves. Give some forethought to what you say and why you say it. A kind word or a smile can literally be a lifesaver.
