By Samuel Liu
Managing Editor
As an adolescent gaysian, I struggle seeing my place in this Eurocentric, heteronormative society. Growing up, I rarely knew queer people—so when I realized I was gay, I knew there were others like me, but I never saw myself claiming my sexual orientation and living freely. It took seeing queer educators around me to realize that I could live my truth. As a Taiwanese-American, seeing other Asians in lesson plans showed me that I should celebrate my culture. The stories we’re surrounded by color the visions of our lives, so representation matters because it sparks empowerment.
High school is a uniquely formative experience for students, so it’s crucial that students can see a place in the world for them. Seeing queer teachers allowed me to understand what it meant to be gay; and it was much different from the sexually immoral sinners portrayed by my church and by conservative Christians. I saw how my lesbian teacher had a fulfilling job, a loving marriage and most importantly, a rainbow Disney tumbler always on hand. Because of her, I no longer feared who I was but instead fully embraced myself. Witnessing role models celebrate their sexual orientation was empowering because I grew to understand that I’m ok just the way I am and mirror self-love in my own life.
As part of the AAPI community and although I’m surrounded by a majority Asian student body, it was still empowering to see people like me in class curriculum. For example, I appreciated my AP US History teacher for allocating specific sections in the notes that described People of Color’s contributions to America. Although the injustices they endured were upsetting, it was empowering to see the wrongs against them exposed and condemned, as their experiences and self-advocacy were spotlighted. From that, I learned that their stories, just like mine, are different, unique and worth celebrating. So teachers, if you are from a marginalized community, be proud of who you are, because students need to see that in order to mirror that in their own lives. To other educators, thank you for your allyship and support. And to my fellow queer students: you are strong and supported. Let representation in and outside of the school gates spark self-love; and please don’t lose sight of your beautiful self.