Last semester, I took a class that would unexpectedly change my life: Cultural Anthropology. This class was super rigorous and I didn’t always understand why a Gen. Ed. course was so much work. Although I found the subject interesting, it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to conduct my own ethnographic research project that I became enthralled with the course. Ethnography is the study of different cultures through collaboration and often integration of a society and I had the opportunity to conduct this type of research at Illinois Wesleyan with IWU Pride Alliance. If it weren't for this class project, I wouldn't have been introduced to or educated about LGBTQ+ rights on and off of IWU's campus.
Going into this project, I was nervous to work with IWU Pride Alliance because I didn’t know anyone in the organization and I didn’t know a lot about LGBTQ+ issues, especially on our campus. I wanted to make a good impression to show the members that I was serious about this project and I really did not want to offend anyone with my ignorance. As a worry wart, the nerves I felt going into the project were inevitable, but they weren’t necessary -- IWU Pride Alliance, otherwise known as Pride, is such a welcoming and inclusive environment. For five or so weeks, I went to executive board meetings and then attended Pride meetings each Thursday evening. Although I only spent two hours with them each week, I learned so much about LGBTQ+ issues and I learned about the importance of universal awareness of these issues. One thing I loved about the meetings was that they were always different. Each week Pride found new, creative ways to educate members and non-members alike about a variety of LGBTQ+ topics from defining Intersex to the lack of LGBTQ+ Rights in Japan. One of my favorite meeting was when Pride joined IWU Interfaith, another RSO on campus, to discuss the relationship between sexuality and religion. This was so memorable because the discussion really revealed to me what a safe community Pride provides for our campus. Even though people had differing opinions, everyone was so respectful and so loving throughout the discussion. There was never a moment where someone was shut down because of their beliefs, a feat which is hard to accomplish when talking about something so personal to everyone who attended the meeting.
I learned a lot from my time with Pride. I learned about LGBTQ+ issues, how to be more supportive of the cause, and I also learned a lot about LGBTQ+ rights on my campus. Illinois Wesleyan as a University, is very supportive of all its students; however, I was disappointed to learn that our student body isn’t always supportive of each other. By talking with Pride members, I learned that queer students don’t always feel totally comfortable on campus because the levels of campus-wide ignorance sometimes leaves them feeling isolated. This issue is not only present at IWU, it is problematic everywhere. Don't get me wrong, Illinois Wesleyan University is a wonderful place and it is uncommonly filled with kind and supportive students and professors; however, there are still fights to be had to make this campus the best it can be. I am proud of my University and the progress it has made to be more LGBTQ+ inclusive and I can’t wait to take my experience with Pride and use it to help raise awareness to create a more inclusive campus. Working with IWU Pride Alliance made a huge impact on me and I am grateful that I found it through my Cultural Anthropology class, a general education course which I didn’t ever plan on taking prior to second semester registration. So the next time you get the chance, take classes that you think will challenge you because you just might awaken a new passion. I can’t wait to attend Pride meetings in the fall and help fight ignorance on campus to make IWU a better place.
