I FOUND IT!

[rknapp]

The little bastages couldn't hide from me forever! Ha ha!

 

After searching for a smidge over two years I finally found them! The school held a 2nd annual club fair this afternoon and I found it over by the "stuff an Osprey" (make your own stuffed animal, Osprey is the school mascot) table. I finally know where and when they meet! The guy who was talking to me about the club was kinda cute too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't know what the f*ck I'm talking about? RSC Pride Alliance. I also got a shirt that says - "gay? fine by me." I also found out that the school has a "Safe Zone" program where you can talk to someone if you're having trouble with your sexual identity. The school got bonus points from me for that

[Graeme]

Sounds good, Robbie! I hope you make lots of new friends

[Adrian Michaels]

I went to University of Wisconsin last year, and they had those shirts. Unfortunately, they sold out before I could get one. Their Safe Zone program was a lot of fun, so I would suggest that you take it up! I'm glad your school has such good resources!!

 

Good luck with school as well!

[AFriendlyFace]

The little bastages couldn't hide from me forever! Ha ha!

 

After searching for a smidge over two years I finally found them! The school held a 2nd annual club fair this afternoon and I found it over by the "stuff an Osprey" (make your own stuffed animal, Osprey is the school mascot) table. I finally know where and when they meet! The guy who was talking to me about the club was kinda cute too.

 

 

Don't know what the f*ck I'm talking about? RSC Pride Alliance. I also got a shirt that says - "gay? fine by me." I also found out that the school has a "Safe Zone" program where you can talk to someone if you're having trouble with your sexual identity. The school got bonus points from me for that

 

 

WOW! That sounds awesome! It's great how schools these days are really making efforts to spread acceptance and positive feelings about one's sexuality!

 

LOL, personally I was thinking you were announcing that you'd finally found a new avatar! But this is way better anyway!

 

Take care and have a fantastic day!

Kevin

[rknapp]

LOL, personally I was thinking you were announcing that you'd finally found a new avatar! But this is way better anyway!

That was yessaday. Get with the times man! lol j/k\

 

EDIT: The first meeting (that I'm attending anyway) is tomorrow night, so I'm kinda nervous. I've met two gay people in my lifetime... one I didn't talk to, the other "introduced" me to some "things" which shall not be specified.

 

I actually found the group on Facebook as well, including the guy I was talking to earlier today. I didn't notice it before, but I had Calculus I with him in the spring 2006 semester. He had long-ass hair back then so of course I didn't recognize him... did not even consider that he would be in a club like this either.

Edited September 26, 2007 by rknapp

[AFriendlyFace]

That was yessaday. Get with the times man! lol j/k

LOL, but I still haven't seen it yet!

EDIT: The first meeting (that I'm attending anyway) is tomorrow night, so I'm kinda nervous. I've met two gay people in my lifetime... one I didn't talk to, the other "introduced" me to some "things" which shall not be specified.

Good luck! I'm sure everything will go wonderfully and you'll have a great time Besides on the bright side you're already used to interacting with all of us

[Graeme]

LOL, but I still haven't seen it yet!

Clear the cache on your browser and then you'll see his new avatar

[AFriendlyFace]

Clear the cache on your browser and then you'll see his new avatar

Oh my gosh!! It's like magic or something!

 

I do feel a bit silly now though

 

Thanks Graeme!!

 

I love the new avatar, Robbie!

Edited September 26, 2007 by AFriendlyFace

[rknapp]

LOL, but I still haven't seen it yet!

 

Good luck! I'm sure everything will go wonderfully and you'll have a great time Besides on the bright side you're already used to interacting with all of us

But there weren't any goats at the table today...

 

Oh my gosh!! It's like magic or something!

 

I do feel a bit silly now though

 

Thanks Graeme!!

 

I love the new avatar, Robbie!

Don't worry about it. I did the same thing LOL.

[glomph]

Haven't firgured it out yet. A giant moth perched on a windmill? A mis-aimed satellite dish?

 

I never had any trouble figuring out the previous avatar.

[BeaStKid]

Darn!

 

I wish my school had something like that! But then, in a country as conservative as India, that would be like hitting your own foot with an axe!! The change is coming, albeit slowly, but it is coming.

 

The BeaStKid

[rknapp]

Haven't firgured it out yet. A giant moth perched on a windmill? A mis-aimed satellite dish?

 

I never had any trouble figuring out the previous avatar.

It's an artistic rendering of a proposed wind farm out in California. That big fat white thing is a cloud.

 

 

 

 

Is it a bad thing that my stomach is upside down and my feet feel like they're in cement? I really shouldn't be as nervous as I am, but I guess it comes with being anti-social. I already know exactly how the meeting is gonna go... I'll slip in unnoticed, sit there quietly for however long it is, and then be the first one out when the meeting is dismissed. Nobody in my high school's GSA knew my sexuality and I doubt anyone in this one will come to find it either.

 

BTW I wore the shirt all day

Edited September 26, 2007 by rknapp

[Adrian Michaels]

Hey, it's totally ok to be nervous!! I was scared as hell for my first campus meeting, but if you stick it out, I promise it'll be worthwhile. I made so many wonderful friends through that organization....

 

And even though I'm not at that school anymore, we still keep in touch all the time.

 

Go, and have a great time!

[Jack Scribe]

It's an artistic rendering of a proposed wind farm out in California. That big fat white thing is a cloud.

 

BTW I wore the shirt all day

 

There's a wind farm not far - 5 miles - from where I live. Just for perspective, each blade is approximately 30' in length.

 

A big thumbs-up on wearing the shirt! One step at a time. That's more than I could do in college.

 

Jack

[Graeme]

Good luck, Robbie! You've already gone one step beyond what I've ever done. Nerves are fine as long as they don't control you.

[rknapp]

I wouldn't count the shirt as a step in any direction other than letting people know where I stand on gay rights. The smart people would figure out that the slogan on the shirt "gay? fine by me." doesn't at all hint my sexual preferences. Still, that didn't stop me from wondering what the other person was thinking when I saw them looking at my chest.

 

 

I should mention that of the eight people I see regularly (friends and roommates) three of them know that I joined the club and none of them had anything negative to say. Before she knew about the club, one mentioned that she doesn't agree with lesbian sex at all on the grounds that "there are too many holes and not enough poles," but she and one other read the Safe Zone pamphlet appreciatively.

[Conner]

It's an artistic rendering of a proposed wind farm out in California. That big fat white thing is a cloud.

Is it a bad thing that my stomach is upside down and my feet feel like they're in cement? I really shouldn't be as nervous as I am, but I guess it comes with being anti-social. I already know exactly how the meeting is gonna go... I'll slip in unnoticed, sit there quietly for however long it is, and then be the first one out when the meeting is dismissed. Nobody in my high school's GSA knew my sexuality and I doubt anyone in this one will come to find it either.

 

BTW I wore the shirt all day

 

Good on ya for wearing the shirt all day.

 

Going to the meeting isn't some test you have to pass. If you're gonna wretch in the first five minutes, don't go until you have a better handle on it. Fear of exposure is something we all have inately. It's up there with fear of falling, dying and losing one's mind. I know you're doing this for yourself...to learn about yourself, help yourself...or whatever. But messing with a part of yourself that's just not ready isn't the answer either. There are always options.

 

Conner

[AFriendlyFace]

It's an artistic rendering of a proposed wind farm out in California. That big fat white thing is a cloud.

OHHH! Looked like a giant alien head:P

 

Is it a bad thing that my stomach is upside down and my feet feel like they're in cement? I really shouldn't be as nervous as I am, but I guess it comes with being anti-social. I already know exactly how the meeting is gonna go... I'll slip in unnoticed, sit there quietly for however long it is, and then be the first one out when the meeting is dismissed. Nobody in my high school's GSA knew my sexuality and I doubt anyone in this one will come to find it either.

You're going to be great! Don't be nervous, what's the worst that could possibly happen? It's not like they're going to point and sling homophobic comments at you. I'm also sure that everyone will respect everyone else's right to privacy and honour the code of discretion.

 

I'm really really proud of you for going, Robbie, and I really hope you can manage to have a couple conversations, or at least some friendly smiles, with some of the other people at the meetings.

BTW I wore the shirt all day

Awesome!

 

 

I wouldn't count the shirt as a step in any direction other than letting people know where I stand on gay rights. The smart people would figure out that the slogan on the shirt "gay? fine by me." doesn't at all hint my sexual preferences.

Well, that's technically true, but let's be honest, anyone who sees someone walking around wearing that shirt IS going to wonder. I don't say this to freak you out, but merely to point out that you've already made a huge step, and if you think about it that's a much bigger, scarier step than just going to the meeting and hanging out with people who are bound to be accepting. Theoretically you could have run into some homophobic jerk or something while wearing the shirt, but I can almost guarantee everyone at the meeting will be accepting.

Still, that didn't stop me from wondering what the other person was thinking when I saw them looking at my chest.

"My what nice pecks that cute guy has!" Go with that

I should mention that of the eight people I see regularly (friends and roommates) three of them know that I joined the club and none of them had anything negative to say. Before she knew about the club, one mentioned that she doesn't agree with lesbian sex at all on the grounds that "there are too many holes and not enough poles," but she and one other read the Safe Zone pamphlet appreciatively.

Awesome! Sounds like your group is pretty receptive and open

 

Seriously, I'm sure it'll be great and you'll have an awesome time!

 

Take care and good luck!

Kevin

[BeaStKid]

 

Your manga avatar is awesome, Kevin!! Waay too good!!

[rknapp]

Well it went as I had expected. I actually almost got there before the student leaders did. The VP was there already and the secretary and Pres got there literally 10 seconds before I did. The only thing I said was my name, year, major, and what animal I wanted to be (they all wanted to answer some random question and one girl suggested what animal everybody wanted to be... I wanted to be anything nocturnal hehe). As I expected the group was made up of mostly women. I was one of three guys, but the treasurer was not present, so I know there's four guys. What surprised the hell out of me was just how many straight people were there. There were three girls who admitted to being straight and were there to defend their gay brothers, sisters, uncles, friends, and the one girl was there for her bi-sexual boyfriend. She's the only one I spoke to, and that was to laugh at a couple things she said.

 

Maybe I'll talk next week. I joined the Facebook group two nights ago and just posted a comment on how I think the night of Coming Out Day should be handled, keeping the fact that I have no coming out stories to tell, nor would I if I had one.

 

Actually as I posted that I thought about GA and tried to make some sense out of why I am so nervous. Realistically there's no difference between there and here. I think what causes the paranoia is the fact that these people are talking to me face to face as opposed to through the internet. Some of them I even see in the hallways which means I can't simply close a window to get away (not that I ever would, GA's awesome!).

[Graeme]

Actually as I posted that I thought about GA and tried to make some sense out of why I am so nervous. Realistically there's no difference between there and here. I think what causes the paranoia is the fact that these people are talking to me face to face as opposed to through the internet. Some of them I even see in the hallways which means I can't simply close a window to get away (not that I ever would, GA's awesome!).

Actually, there is a big difference. On the internet, there is the illusion of anonymity, which you don't have in a face-to-face situation. If someone asked you if you are the person who visits GA, you are able to deny it because there isn't direct evidence that it's you (though there are sometimes ways you can be tracked, given the right tools and the right privileges). You can't do that face-to-face.

 

Good luck, Robbie! It sounds like a good first meeting, though I was surprised at the low number of males.

[C James]

Actually, there is a big difference. On the internet, there is the illusion of anonymity, which you don't have in a face-to-face situation. If someone asked you if you are the person who visits GA, you are able to deny it because there isn't direct evidence that it's you (though there are sometimes ways you can be tracked, given the right tools and the right privileges). You can't do that face-to-face.

 

Good luck, Robbie! It sounds like a good first meeting, though I was surprised at the low number of males.

 

I think Graeme is right on the money here; Being online is a form of anonymity, which makes things far easier in some respects.

It also has it's downside; the internet is more prone to flame wars and personal attacks due to people feeling less caution than they would face-to-face.

[rknapp]

Hence why you all see the real me. If it turns out that my worst fears come true online, I can just never return to the site. In person it's more difficult, I would have to transfer schools. Though if I f*ck up this year I don't care, I'm automatically transferring to another school next fall where I'll spend two years studying and then get my degrees.

[AFriendlyFace]

Your manga avatar is awesome, Kevin!! Waay too good!!

Thanks Beasty!

 

The only thing I said was my name, year, major, and what animal I wanted to be (they all wanted to answer some random question and one girl suggested what animal everybody wanted to be... I wanted to be anything nocturnal hehe).

Ohh, we used to do the random question thing at my group too! I think it's a great idea! Lota fun

As I expected the group was made up of mostly women. I was one of three guys, but the treasurer was not present, so I know there's four guys.

I read a statistic or something somewhere that said that on average women were more like to join such groups, but men need them more. In my experience with the on campus GLBT organization it was primarily led by females, but attended by slightly more males.

 

It sounds like everything went pretty well! I hope you continue to go and enjoy yourself and make new friends!

 

Actually as I posted that I thought about GA and tried to make some sense out of why I am so nervous. Realistically there's no difference between there and here. I think what causes the paranoia is the fact that these people are talking to me face to face as opposed to through the internet. Some of them I even see in the hallways which means I can't simply close a window to get away (not that I ever would, GA's awesome!).

Does that mean that you knew - or recognized - some of them prior to attending the meeting? Nifty!

 

Yeah I guess I can see where you're coming from though, but I think even if things did end up going badly and you end up on poor terms with them you could get by with a casual nod as you walk by and leave it at that. Still, I definitely see what you mean though and I wish you the best of luck

 

-Kevin

[rknapp]

The president has class in my calculus room before my class, so I see him walking out while I sit in the lounge area outside the hallway three times a week. He's really hard to miss with a section of his hair died red. I also saw the "gay? fine by me." shirt for the first time on him... that's the only thing about him that clued me in to the fact that he has something to do with the GLBT community. I didn't think for sure he was gay until he said why he was in the club, lol. I hate my gaydar. He actually made the comment that he was there to meet other gay people, but he could tell sometimes when someone was gay, and I wanted to ask him to guess my sexuality. I might still ask that, for my own reference.