Student Life October 2019
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LGBT<br />
CO-EDITOR LEANNE ARNOLD<br />
LGBTQ’s<br />
BY JOSHUA HODGKIN<br />
So, this month is a big one. You’re back into<br />
the full swing of education and ready for<br />
the super long Autumn term. I hope you’re<br />
getting back into it comfortably, whether<br />
you’re staying where you were last year or<br />
moving on to somewhere new – college,<br />
university or work. If you are moving to<br />
somewhere new, you’ll be starting fresh<br />
with all new people surrounding you with<br />
lots of new friends to make. With those<br />
new friends may come the time to come<br />
out to people.<br />
It can be difficult to come out, especially if<br />
it’s to new people in your life. Moving away<br />
can present a difficult ultimatum. You may<br />
feel comfortable coming out to your new<br />
friends (who may well end up becoming<br />
your uni family), but your family at home<br />
may be clueless about your sexuality.<br />
There can be a variety of reasons why you<br />
may not feel comfortable to come out<br />
at home – and moving to uni can often<br />
give you the room to find your feet and<br />
understand yourself.<br />
Having said that, please don’t feel pressure<br />
to come out! There is no need to do things<br />
you aren’t comfortable with just because<br />
you’re in a new place. Whilst it is a new<br />
place with new people, and you want<br />
to feel yourself, there’s no need to put<br />
yourself too far out of your comfort zone.<br />
By no means should you be embarrassed<br />
about your sexuality, but as Dan Howell<br />
(YouTube/social media celebrity) recently<br />
demonstrated, it’s okay to feel like you<br />
need more time in the closet. He explained<br />
in a recent video (I mentioned it in July’s<br />
issue), that he had spent a very long<br />
time in the closet as he had never felt<br />
comfortable with his sexuality. He hated<br />
the fact that he was gay because the time<br />
he was growing up was non inclusive and<br />
taught him that being gay was wrong.<br />
Only now has he managed to fight his<br />
demons and tell the world about his true<br />
self, but I’m really glad he now feels able to<br />
embrace himself!<br />
I hope wherever you’re spending this<br />
year is a positive place. I have found that<br />
if someone is your true friend, they’ll<br />
always love you for who you are! Have a<br />
wonderful month!<br />
85 • LGBT • STUDENT LIFE
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