Interested in sharing your story as an LGBTQ+ member of the FIRST community? Have unique insight on what’s going on and how we can make the community a better place? The admins of LGBTQ+ of FIRST want to hear your experiences! We want to reach out in the FIRST community to get insight from LGBTQ+ students, mentors, and volunteers alike. Our hopes are that sharing these stories help people feel more welcome in the FIRST community, as well as help improve awareness in the community. Reaching out to others doesn’t just help create a sense of belonging within FIRST, but gives us a fresh perspective on issues other individuals face as well.

There are two ways you can apply for an interview with us:

• Find an admin’s table or pit at one of the events we’re attending. There are sheets asking for basic contact information, and you can leave it as your application. A complete list of events we’ll be at is linked below, and attendance is also posted weekly on the blog.
  

(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TqSUDY3thKjvbiU5ILh4G66Qgo52nNroIBhUuhPjs98/edit?usp=sharing)

• We have an online survey for those who aren’t comfortable/safe putting their info down at events, or aren’t at events we’re attending. The online survey asks you basic questions as well as for your contact details, but it’s quick and easy. The link is down below.
  

(https://goo.gl/forms/Arbpp435AYw9ifr82)

An admin will get in contact with you shortly after you apply. If you have any additional questions or concerns, you can always email us at lgbtplusfirst@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing your responses!

-Kira K. 568

anonymous asked:

I was wondering if LGBTQ+ FIRST has given any thought to Texas passing a bathroom bill, and how that would impact trans FIRST students, especially with South Champs being hosted in Houston, Texas. Is this something that should be protested?

Hey sorry for letting this ask sit for so long, but we had to think and work on this since it’s such a complicated issue. We are contacting FIRST about the issue and asking for support. Although these types of laws affect a lot of people, businesses and organizations can choose whether or not it applies to them. FIRST, in its nondiscrimination policy, directly references gender identity and sexual orientation so we anticipate support.

-Sean 5113

Here are some healthy memes for sustenance during the long competition season!

I attend a private Christian school in a fairly conservative part of the Midwest, but I decided at the beginning of the school year that I was tired of being closeted. I came out at school as transgender, and teachers and classmates began using preferred name and pronouns. I didn’t come in with a list of demands, but instead respected the boundaries and reservations of those around me in hopes that they would respect me in return. Early in the year, I got to choose the name for my diploma, graduation, and the yearbook. Or so I thought. In late January, my principal informed me that there are had been parent complaints and the school board was reevaluating my situation and the potential harm to my school. Understandably upset, I wrote a letter to the school board explaining my situation. I talked about how I had no desire to be a pioneer, but merely wanted to live authentically in my final year of high school. I stated my goals for transition, which are “to remain calm in the face of opposition and ignorance, educate people on transgender issues to hopefully prevent discrimination based on lack of knowledge, and when people come after me for who I am, to stand up with pride.” I discussed how the response I’d received had been positive as my teachers, peers and mentors have accepted me and respect my journey to self acceptance. I also expressed my hurt at their concerns about the potential harms to my school and asked them to reconsider their decision, as I wished to finish off the last few months of my senior year as smoothly as possible.

The school board met with my parents who shared my letter, but the results were less than I’d hoped for. The yearbook will read how I want it to, but all graduation related information will be under my birth name. It is completely legal for my school to do this because it’s a private institution, but it’s still disheartening and frustrating. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been questioning whether I really have a place in the school that I’ve attended for the last fifteen years. I’ve been reflecting, and the most influential lesson I’ve taken away from the last six weeks is that the negative reactions do not take away from the positive ones.

I had low expectations when coming out, fully believing that my teachers or peers would push back against me. Much to my surprise, however, it went smoothly. The people in my life who really matter have embraced me. I have been struggling  to accept that I have any place in my school, but I was too distracted by the conservative drama to realize that the positivity of my peers was proof that I belonged. This isn’t exclusive to me; I’ve known many people to become completely bogged down in the negative and forget all the good. This does nothing but hurt everyone involved. My friends, family and teachers have stood beside me and offered their support, so while this may be a low point in the early stages of my transition, it does not define my relationship with my school.

It’s hard to be different. There will always be people who fight back against your existence or life choices, and it will hurt. However, their uneducated opinion shouldn’t be what defines interaction with an entire community of people.