LGBTQ members struggle living double-life

Guethshina Altena/ Assistant News Director

LGBTQ sudents throughout the University have different experiences when it comes to revealing their sexuality to society and friends and family.

Roseland Lamarre is a junior elementary education major who grew up with members of the LGBTQ community  in her circle of friends.

“I honestly respect [people of the LGBTQ community], I feel like they are brave and I appreciate them because they are dealing with something that is so difficult and they are bringing it to life, and I am all for it,” Lamarre said.

Lamarre’s heard many stories of people coming out of the closet and has personally seen her fair share of friends struggling with their sexuality. But, she believes that because of the amount of celebrities, models, and famous Instagrammers who have come out of the closet, it’s helped others to come out.

“I think it is really hard because you have to hide a part of who you are; It’s who you are and you want people to accept you.” Lamarre said. “It doesn’t mean that it is easy for them to do the the things that hetoresexual couples do, even though LGBTQ is more popularized now,”

Lamarre think it can sometimes be challenging for LGBTQ community to have their sexual lives freely because society still sees it as taboo and it forces them to lead a “double life.”

“I know I would try to hide it [if i were part of the LGBTQ community] because it would be very difficult to get my family to understand where I am coming from” Lamarre said “I would tell my friends and peers but my family is a whole other realm and I would not be able to do it”

Tamara Telfort, a junior majoring in broadcast media, has had a challenging path as a member of the LGBTQ community.

“I was around 18 when I came out to my family and they did not like it,” Telfort said.

She said she doesn’t know how her family feels about it now because they stopped talking shortly after that.

“It’s not that I have come to terms with that but it is the fact that they are not willing to accept,” she said “ It is mainly my dad cause the others I have seen but we do not have a strong bond.”

Telfort’s mother lives in Haiti and she said her mother was able to accept her for who she was.

“I would not tell my dad about any partners I have but I would tell my mom,” Telfort said.

“Everybody that knows me knows.”

Telfort said that there are many organizations that out there such as Pride Alliance, and other clubs at the University who can help students who struggle with that.

“I wish students would not be scared to be who they are, because they are many programs that can help them like pride alliance helped me when I needed it,” Telfort said.

 

Feature Image retrieved from Flickr.