Out on campus: My identity is not your political stance

By Cal Sutton

In recent years, the concept of a queer identity itself is becoming incredibly political. While LGBTQIA+ identities have always been closer to the side of taboo or shameful, recently, there have been leaps in the right direction — always seemingly followed by a catapult to the wrong one.

In June 2015, Obergefell v. Hodges, a monumental supreme court case for LGBTQIA+ individuals, resulted in the ruling of legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.

Why did we not have the opportunity to marry who we loved, even during a lot of Rider students’ lifetimes? That answer will always perturb me. People did not think that queer individuals deserved the same rights as their heterosexual, cisgendered counterparts.

Queer people have faced scrutiny for many years; and most likely since the beginning of our history. And that is, unfortunately, far from over.

In Louisiana, HB 1137 was signed into law as Act 579. This law gives people employed in Louisiana the right to knowingly misgender people if they “disagree” with their pronouns or name, also barring the option for a company to fire the employee at fault over it.

I cannot help but wonder why people are filled with so much disdain about someone else’s personal life. I walk around campus every day, some know me and know that I am transgender because we are friends. Some people can look at me and notice by the way I dress or the way I present myself that I may be — so they ask me my pronouns. Some do not even address or acknowledge me at all.

In different ways, each of these instances are entirely acceptable. I know that I am different from many people. I know that, for some, college is the first time they have ever knowingly encountered an LGBTQIA+ person, let alone a transgender person.

What is not acceptable, though, is sheer ignorance disguised as a religious belief. Some of the most accepting and respectful people I know are of religious backgrounds, as they practice kindness from the words their holy texts teach.

There has been heavy discourse in the U.S.’ athletics sphere, regarding the rights of transgender athletes to compete on teams that align with their gender. Many states have introduced or passed laws that specifically bar transgender women from participating in women’s sports, though some states have created laws that impact all transgender athletes.

Gender-affirming care has been a hot-button issue for many people in the U.S. in recent years. There have been many attempts, across the country, to ban gender-affirming care for minors. These bans include puberty blockers, hormones and, while uncommon, gender-affirming surgeries.

It makes me so incredibly sad to see the fights that U.S. lawmakers are making against transgender individuals on a routine basis. It is disheartening and upsetting to know that so many people in positions of great power have so much against me and the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Queer people are not just a political talking point. We are not a subject to debate over whether we deserve rights or not. We deserve compassion, we deserve kindness. Queer identities are not your political stance. Queer identities are human. Queer identities are precious.

Cal Sutton is a junior journalism major

This article is part of the Out on Campus column by Cal Sutton to spread awareness and shine light on LGBTQIA+ identities.