Why I wanted to be a Peer for Pride.

It took a long time for me to decide what to write on for this blog.  I bounced around on several topics.   For your thoughts Google gay comic books for a failed cowboy series called The Rawhide Kid. The reboot of the cowboy hero was ruined, despite the desired success.  Stop and think about representations of gender and sexuality in the Star Trek series.  Try Deep Space 9, season 4 episode 7 for a start, although there is a Wikipedia article as well if you trust that as a source.  Lastly read this for a heartwarming tale of a true American warrior and his happy beginning: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/gay-marine-marriage-proposal-military-base_n_1460179.html

Still, as much as I looked I was not satisfied with an idea to write about for my last blog this semester.  Then I realized I have been talking about it for a couple of weeks now, Peers for Pride.  Obviously as you found this blog you know something about the University of Texas’s Peers for Pride, with the Gender and Sexuality Center.  However each peer’s story is something else entirely, our decisions to become part of the family which is Pfp were all made at different times, with different motivations.

My name is Jacqleen, and I am a Peer for Pride.  In recent days many people have talked to me about my experiences, especially my monologue, after the final presentation of for this cohort.  I have talked about my accumulation of knowledge, my lasting relationships which have benefited from class.  I have also spent much time discussing the points of my monologue and lightly those of my peers.  I have also talked about how I became involved in the program and why it is worth making time for and trying to fit it into your life and heart.   I decided to join the class, and found a family, after my formal ally training.  (If you don’t know who/what an Ally is, Google! Google! Google!)

 I had desired to complete my ally training for a long time, and during the training I heard about Peers for Pride.  You know that feeling you get when things suddenly look brighter and the feeling you get is successively better the more you hear about something?  I had that feeling.  I knew this was an opportunity I would regret later if I did not seize the day.   I was so right.  For me I didn’t have the time to weigh positives and negatives as others did.  Nor did I anticipate my application for weeks before submitting.  I took a leap of faith that I would be a better person for this experience, and I am. 

I have accomplished my goals of learning more, becoming a better resource, friend and ally.  I still have more to learn.  I still have much to do.  It is worth it to do more than wonder what lies ahead of you, but to take action and stay informed.  With work and will change can be made.  What changes will you aim to make?