Box 8.

I have never been involved with any group like G.L.B.T. so there’s not a whole lot to compare my first impressions of the meeting to. I had ideas of what I thought the meeting and the people might be like, but that’s all they are: ideas. I figured that since the meetings are confidential everybody would be calm and quiet, waiting patiently to begin. I also assumed that they would be very welcoming and friendly. I wish I would have looked into something like this back home so that I would have another group to compare Ball State’s G.L.B.T. to.
What surprised me? I arrived about ten minutes before the meeting began and the members were very funny! Almost everybody was standing up, walking around to talk to their friends, being loud and laughing. As I said before, I expected a sense of professionalism because I thought that confidential meetings were different than any regular meeting. Also, during the meeting, they had fun topics such as “Serenity Knows,” a celebrity gossip chat. I was surprised at how laid back and fun the meetings seemed to be.
What intrigued me? Every member displayed their own personality. It was intriguing to me because everybody seemed so comfortable. Some people were loud and extreme, some members were talking to people all over the room, and some people were quiet and sitting down. I liked that aspect very much!
What disturbed me? I felt a bit out of place at the meeting. I only know a few people in the group and they knew why I was there, but I couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable. Although the President made a helpful statement at the start of the meeting, “Just because you’re here, doesn’t mean you’re queer!,” I still felt like people might think that I was gay. Although everybody was very friendly, I still felt just a little like I didn’t belong.