The Psychology of Queerology

The Stonewall Tigers will discuss all things queer tonight in The University Center Iris Room.  

From 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. a panel featuring members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community will open the floor for the public to ask questions about their life.

Queerology: A Discussion of Everything Queer will feature one member of the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community and two members of the transgendered community.

M.J. McAuliffe, sophomore English major and president of Stonewall Tigers, will speak on the panel.

"One thing I want people to know is bisexuals can exist without having to choose which gender they like more," she said. "We like to keep our options open."

She said she wants to openly discuss LGBT life and encouraged the general public to feel comfortable with asking them anything.  

Junior education major Jodie Johnson said even though he is heterosexual, the panel is interesting to him.

"I think a lot of times they're overlooked because when I personally think about discrimination, I think more about race and religion than sexual preference," he said.

He said the panel would be great for the community to attend because of the judgment that the LGBT community faces.

"The one question I have is ‘When did your sexual orientation define who you are?' because I don't run around saying ‘I like women and that's who I am' I feel like there is more to me than just the fact that I'm heterosexual," he said.

The panel will address questions like these during the Queerology discussion.

Andrew Knote, music education senior and secretary of Stonewall, said he welcomes those outside of the LGBT community to come out and ask questions about the panel as well as his sexuality.

"Because we live in a heterosexual society, we have to set ourselves so we don't get drawn into the idea that ‘Everyone is straight, just like me,'" he said.

Knote said panels like these could be used to help families and friends of LGBT individuals understand them better.

"My mom and my sister know and love me unconditionally," he said. "My dad doesn't live in town and does not know and I don't feel inclined to tell him."