Editor’s Note: The Lavender Letters, a monthly series, is a collection of open letters written by members of Ole Miss’ queer community highlighting the many joys and hardships that come with being a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the South — and in particular on this campus. If you are interested in writing one, email Mary Boyte, news editor, at thedmnews@gmail.com.
Since coming to campus, I have been getting involved with different programs like UMpride and OUTgrads. The experiences that I have had on campus, being a queer Black person, have been pleasant. This feeling of happiness came as a shock to me.
Growing up in Oxford, I didn’t come out until middle school, and that was a pretty rough experience. I never felt like I could truly be myself, and that was difficult. I’m still learning new things about myself, but it’s hard for me to feel confident with my identity sometimes, whether I’m on campus or not.
Different people I’ve met at the university so far have helped me find that confidence. I’m surrounded by a lot of queer people on campus, and that environment felt safe to me my freshman year. Nothing is perfect and there are some things I believe that could be improved, but to know that this community exists made me feel welcomed.
It’s hard for me to feel that way sometimes if I’m in spaces where I might be the only queer person of color in the room. This is an issue that I was used to experiencing at my high school, not in terms of me being queer necessarily, but being the only Black person in the room. Recognizing that feeling made me think about how I feel on campus as a queer person of color, and how other current or upcoming students may share that feeling.
I want queer students of color to come to campus and have positive feelings about the queer community here. It’s important to me that they don’t feel isolated. Other students and I have been discussing this issue and I believe that change can happen.
I’m glad that I have been able to have great experiences with the queer community on campus, and I want others to be able to have that as well.
