The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/17438
An excuse to Keep Up Now! Come Out? National Coming Out Day is Oct. 11 Selina Policar is a freshman communication studies major at SUNY Oneonta. She was the president of her high school’s Gay-Straight Al- liance in her high school, and she tries her hardest to be politically active. This Monday is National Coming Out Day. What’s National Coming Out Day? Despite its name, it’s actually an international commemoration meant to promote discussion about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, and has existed since 1988. Every year on Oct. 11, members of the LGBT community are urged to “come out of the closet,” or let others know about their sexuality. Some members of the LGBT community, like myself, are already out of the closet, regardless, the day is an important opportunity to remind ac- quaintances of this fact. Why is National Coming Out Day important? Some people have told me that all it does is make people focus on the differences between the LGBT com- munity and the general population. This isn’t true! Studies have shown that people who know that they know someone gay are more likely to be accepting of gay rights. While statis- tics show that everybody knows at least one LGBT person, many LGBT people keep this fact hidden by staying in the closet. By coming out, we put a face on the issue. If some- one realizes that “those dirty homos” are actual people he or she knows, then he or she is much less likely to bear prejudices against the entire group. Another reason that National Coming Out Day is important is that being out of the closet is impor- tant for the psychological health of LGBT persons. Lying about who you are is an extraordinarily stressful thing to do, especially if it’s every day. The suicide rate for LGBT teens is almost four times that of heterosexual teenagers, as has tragically been Have an idea for the Diversity Scene section? Shoot us an e-mail at editor@otownscene.com Oct. 7, 2010 O-Town Scene 27 made evident in the news recently. The stress of being in the closet is likely a major reason for this. Coming out is a way for anybody feeling trapped due to their sexuality to feel open for what might be the first time in years. Even for those of us who have pretty much always been “out of the closet,” National Coming Out Day is important. Sometimes, you’ve never had an opportunity to come out to a friend, even if other people know. I know that sometimes I’ll get distracted during a conversation, and someone will ask me if it’s because I’m “watching a hot guy.” National Coming Out Day is a step towards never ending up in such awkward conversations again. -Selina Policar My brother, Rob, passed Oct. 21, 2004, after battling AIDS. Before he passed, he shared with me his desire to share his message with the world. “Keep up now!” was his message. Keep up with the stream of inner consciousness we all share and stay con- nected to the source. Rob and I had in-depth conversations regarding spirituality. At critical moments in our life, when we are brought to our knees, we ask for guidance from a greater source. We’re surprised when we receive it and we call it “a miracle.” The truth is, the source is there for us all of the time. We are blind to our greatest source of strength and power. The further we fall away from the crisis moment, the more rapidly we regress into the “river of unconscious mind wandering”. Rob was “in touch” with these conscious moments due to the multiple illnesses’ he endured brought on by the AIDS virus. He lived with clear and present awareness that each malady could be his last. His vigilant quest for truth and knowledge hard-wired him into endless streams of higher consciousness. During his dark nights, he con- nected with a higher state of consciousness, and although Rob’s body was failing, his spirit was growing. He found a sense of purpose and experienced love as genuine extension. He saw his life as a series of choices, which ultimately led him to a greater love than he ever thought possible. Rob left with me a series of notes he scratched during the dark nights he endured. He said I would know what to do with them. With his inspira- tion, it is my mission to share our message with the world in hope it will give you strength, courage, hope and the realization that life is about choices. The world is your playground. You can experi- ence it all. But the question remains; how to enjoy it all? In the coming weeks, I will share our journey with you. Just as our choices deter- mined our life experience, your choice determines your destination on this journey. You choose every minute of every day, many times. Just remember this, you can always choose again. We are all connected. Keep Up Now ... With the stream of higher consciousness and stay connected to the source! -Terry Ludwig the Diversity Scene Oct. 7-13