Camille Stallings

CIS 110 - MWF 10:00

Due: Oct. 12, 2014

Culture Project Transcription: UKGSA Club

Camille: How did you get involved in the club in the first place, and why?
Alex: She dragged me to it freshman year
Iz: .... Freshman year, yeah, we, yeah, I dragged him to it.
Alex: Cause she was the first person i came out to
Iz: and he was the first person i came out to
Camille: Oh, okay!
Iz: i admitted it barely to myself like the week before, yeah
Camille: Thats awesome, how far into your freshmen year was it that you guys went?
Iz: uhhh, it was the first meeting, so i want to say sometime in september
Camille: Oh okay, did you guys know each other before?
Iz: uh we met in, yeah we met in fast track, they can be either really nerdy or just normal haha it
was fun when it happened
Camille: Okay, and why?
Iz: Why did we go to GSA?
Camille: Yes
Iz: I went to GSA just cause i had hoped, i mean i never went to GSA in my highschool cause it
was like a group of like five kids who were just kinda weird in the corner...
Camille: Mmhm
Iz: and uh, about to of them were gay, and thats about it. But when i came here i was like, okay
maybe it will be different, and it was, it was a lot different. You still had those weird kids in the
corner but i feel like they were finally able to come out of their shell in some way, it was like

nice and beneficial and i felt safe in that environment

Camille: Awesome, um, could you tell me more about the club in general, cause i read
discription but i haven't had a chance to go to the meeting, so i would like a more personal
explanation of what you guys are about and everything
Alex: So the club is just basically, a meeting place every week for people to come and just like
discuss and each week have like a speaker come from either lexington community or we just
really want to facilitate a safe space for everyone come share their opinions and meet people like
themselves or even different from themselves... and um also gsa partners with other
organizations on campus to make events for students, like we have uh ,coming out day and
were going to have a thing called UK come on out, which is next thursday from 6-9 and its
just going to be a time for students to come and share their stories, and meet other people who
have had similar experiences that they have...
Iz: and there will be food!
Alex: and it would be a great event to come to if you want to learn something, granted in this
event, just kind of sit and take in the experience and dont really be like writing anything down.
Camille: oh yeah no, obviously I understand that! OkayNow do you guys mind me asking
about your sexuality in general or
Iz: Im usually pretty open about it..
Alex: i dont, but if you do come to meeting don't ask anybody..
Camille: Okay well i mean after you two i wont be meeting with anybody, so dont worry i will
not! But okay umhow was your family viewing of homosexuality, or bisexuality or just
whatever when you were growing up?

Iz: Well i grew up in texas in a very, i wouldn't say very mexican family, but i would say my
extended family is very very mexican, um so when extended family wise, theyre definitely for
it! We have this one gay uncle, or gay cousin i guess, who we don't, well he travels a lot and he
travels a lot and hes obviously the most successful of all of the kids, but he rarely shows up to
family events so i don't really know much about him. ... So my grandpa tells me this story, and
he would tell me this story every time i brought a friend over, and my friends..theyre usually
girls, sooo, keep that in mind, uh he would tell this story that like when i was a little girl i would
say, I wanna be a princess when I grow up, and I wanna live in a castle and I wanna marry
another princess, and he would be like, but sweetie, princesses marry princes and I would be
like you dont know that! and he would be like, well I guess she was right I didnt know that
and i respect you, if you want to go that way, okay so i mean i knew growing it was something
that wasn't necessarily frowned upon in my immediate family, but extended wise i probably
wouldn't say anything to them.
Camille: Yeah so, does your family know now...
Iz: mmhmm..
Camille: Your extended family? or just your immediate family?
Iz: My mom, my brother, my sister, i figure if i get into a serious enough relationship with
someone that is of my same sex, then ill probably end up telling my grandparents, but until then,
yeah
Camille (to alex): Okay and how about you?
Alex: I come from rural Kentucky, Grayson County Kentucky, and on my dads side its one way,
and one my moms side its the other. On my dads side its very very backcountry they grew up
on a dairy farm, and big family, so theyre not very friendly to LGBT community at all. But on

my moms side, they are. My grandmother, hell, she was like a hippie in the 60s and free love
everything, so they are very accepting, and even though they don't know yet, I know that when I
tell them they will be, its just kind of like her (Iz) im waiting until i am really with someone to
feel like it would be appropriate to say anything, i have told my aunt and my cousin and my
mom, my sister, and my dad. And um, but yeah, i think for the most part my family is pretty
accepting, especially on my moms side.
Camille: Okay so youre both just waiting for the right person,
Iz and Alex: yeah
Camille: Okay, awesome, uhm, what do you think is the most common misconception about the
club in general or just people who are part of the club?
Iz: um like when I first started, I guess before I started going, even when i was in highschool, I
thought the club was specifically for gay people, I was like okay, if you're straight, youre not
straight, youre probably just waiting um but we do acutally have some straight people who do
come and i will say its nice, its interesting, its cool, its something that you don't necessarily see
becuase a good majority of the time people are just like oh, its like a club for specifically just
gays, even though we do have straight in there (in the name) but um..
Camille: yeah haha in the club name..
Iz: yeah man, come on ! haha
Alex: I will say the same thing its not just for gay people or bisexual or trans or questioning, or
whatever! its for straight people as well, its gay straight alliance, and so we want to make sure
everyone is welcome, actually a lot of people, you know..my flame does not burn as bright as
others, so some people thought I was straight and they elected me as co-president, so I mean its
not, its not just for like she said gay and lesbian people.

Camille: Awesome, and then more specifically, outside of the club, what do you think is the
most common misconception about the LGBT community in general
Alex: mm.people don't understand how diverse LGBT is, I think thats the biggest
misconception, you know, just now, just recently, the trans community is having a gained a lot of
ground, a lot of progress but people also don't understand that within that theres also people,
gender non conforming and gender fluid um theres gay people, bisexual people, asexual people,
pansexual people, you know theres a lot, and I think thats the most common misconception, that
people just see two things, gay lesbian
Camille: and even I, who likes to think of myself as open minded, i tend to do the same thing, so
i completely understand, see like in that I dont even know what some of the things you just said
mean haha.
Iz: yeah no, it takes a while you kind of have to dig deep just to find those, cause they're not
like, whenever you think of gay or queer culture you just see like the butch lesbian or like the
really flaming gay guy, and like theres so much more than those two, although I will say, its kind
of helpful having them out there, just so you can see a type of gay person, its better than nothing,
I'll say that, but I mean there is a lot more than just those two people.
Camille: have you experienced any personal discrimination because of your sexual preference in
your lifetime, and if so, how did you cope with that or overcome that?
Alex: I have been fortunate enough that I havent, i will i have heard things, in gsa, (to Iz) wait
can i say that?
Iz: say what?
Alex: that people have told stories?
Iz: oh yeah, go ahead

Alex: people have expressed stories that they have and it really is sad to hear that, and you know
so, even though I havent I can tell you that people do, experience things, even things on this
campus.
Camille: can you give me any examples
Alex: no, thats one thing in GSA were very confidential about things like that
Camille: okay, okay I completely understand. At what age, if you don't mind me asking, at what
age did you know your sexual preference, did you like realize?
Iz: well, to a point, Im still kind of questioning, cause like every once in a while I'm still like
uhh is that I don't know, I guess I came out to myself when i was.. a couple weeks I guess into
college or the summer before college, but I might have known as a kid, I don't know, before
then though I was just like, Ill stick with dudes
Camille: and then, this is the second part of the question, oh and how did that make you feel,
when you realized that, or you kind of came to terms with that?
Iz: it was weird, it was kind of like a little sigh of relief, kinda, to a point, because I was just like,
....oh that makes so much more sense, cause like at the time I thought it was totally normal to
be like, that chicks hot, like I dont know, its just it seemed normal, but then my friends were
like, are you gonna come out yet? I just, I dont know, I thought it was normal, but apparently
it was like, youre queer so, that was a new a one.
Alex: I think I always at least knew something was different a little in some ways, and then like
in highschool I was really like, oh my god . into middle school/beginning of high school is
when people started you know, oo that kids gay, blah blah blah but nobody really thought
anything like that about me, cause I'm relatively, um, well now how do I put it politely, not as,
you know. people just don't think that about me whenever they see me, so I was very scared

whenever I first realized that, and I came to college and people were like, its not a big deal you
know, people were just very open, so you know I kind just, I kind of felt more comfortable.
Iz: I shoved him out the closet
Alex: True
Camille: Good, good, okay, why do you think people who are opposed to same sex relationships,
or bi sexual people, or the whole thing, why are they opposed to that?
Alex: I just think people really arent educated, they dont know Im pretty sure these people
who think this way have never met or even tried to get to know people who are different from
themselves, and I think if they did, they would understand that theyre not that different, you
know? they just like a guy instead of a girl, or a girl instead of a guy, or girls and guys, so um, I
think thats the biggest thing, they just don't understand, and its different from what they view,
um, what things should be, so it confuses them maybe? and it scares them to think of someone
not being the same as themselves, so most things can be overcome like that, just sheerly by
talking to one another and getting to know people different than you.
Iz: and then sometimes its just kind of stubbornness, like you want to think a certain specific
way, and youre just like, I just wont go there like anyone whos older, like the much older
people, are just like, thats not how we used to do it back in the day,.
Camille: mhm yeah, I agree that a lot of it is stubbornness, do you think a lot of it has to do with
how people are raised?
Alex: mmhmm
Iz: definitely, definitely, cause if its instilled in you at such a young age
Alex: its also like its opposing to their views, people dont like to be wrong, at all, and its not
even just wrong, but the way their parents taught them, now youre saying that everything

theyve been taught been their parents, the people that they love, is wrong, and what they viewed
was wrong, so I think it offends them in some way, and I can see how, but they have no (sigh)
they have no right to be offended cause there are things that are constantly changing.
Camille: no I completely agree, cause I find it surprising myself, when I meet people my age that
are so opposed to the whole idea, because I went to a pretty liberal highschool and I know there
were girls in my class who were I think there were a couple who were bi and a couple who
were lesbian and I know that people were, except for one girl cause she just wasnt very nice,
completely aside from her sexual preference, she was just mean, but like everyone was pretty
open to the whole thing, we even had a couple teachers but that was kind of more on the down
low, but I mean I just find it surprising that I meet people my age that are so opposed, I just.. I
dont know, it doesnt make any sense to me, so what are, do you have any advice, outside the
interview, to just open people up to it more? ( . )
Camille: okay, just in your opinion, do you think gay, lesbian, or bi parents are any different than
heterosexual parents in their ability to raise a well rounded child?
Alex: i think there are differences, but i think as far as how well they can raise a child, no. But
there is obviously different things that go on in a homesexual family, well homosexual parents,
than there would be in a heterosexual relationship, Im not saying that bad or worse, but it
definitely is different and they find different obstacles to overcome. Although there has been
some studies done that suggests that children raised by homosexual parents end up better off than
children raised by heterosexual parents and most people say that because um,...
Iz: they plan to have a child, like i know for a fact i wasnt planned i come from a single parent,
and the idea of having just a single parents, you have one sex who raises you, so thats sortve
kind of the same idea as a homosexual relationship like homosexual parents that have a child, so

like you can still be raised by just one gender, it doesnt necessarily make a huge difference on
your life.
Camille: See now thats a really good people, there are plenty of single parents out there and that
doesn't really change the child's chances.
Alex: I think that, yeah, um, i think there is differences in how you raise your kid, but the overall
outcome isnt going to be any different. You can raise a child just as well.
Camille: I agree completely, what are you personal plans for the future, if any, and what about
children? would you adopt? (to Alex) this is more directed toward you because (to Iz) you can
have kids obviously haha.
Alex: Im just focused more on college right now, graduate, go to med school, but then um, I
would probably want to have kids, yeah, and either adopt or get a dog haha.
Camille: if you were given an opportunity to share some of your own beliefs on sexual
preferences, like what would be the first thing that you wanted someone to know or understand?
Alex: be open-minded to the things people say and also if someone comes out to someone its
their first experience coming out to someone, and their experience with that will determine how
approach situations in the future, so thats what i would tell people, you know, just be very
sensitive. Even if you dont agree with it, just still try to be sensitive.
Camille: Okay um, this is a very personal question, and if you dont feel comfortable answering
it, that is totally fine, it is just one of the last questions I have, so, it is do you believe people are
born with their sexual preference? or do you think some people are? or.. what are you thoughts
on that?
Alex: I feel like people arent, I dont think people are born, I think people are born uh, Ill say
this, I dont think its a choice, but I also dont think sexuality is something so binary as people

have it, and it exists on a scale, so to say people are born gay, or born straight, you can never
like look at something else, look at another gender, because now that theyre born gay and
theyre going to be gay forever isnt a thing either, i think that they can.
Iz: that is what I was going to say to, its not that youre necessarily born gay, but youre born
with that curiosity that youre willing to become more I guess more curious as time goes on, and
youre, it has to deal also with your personality. Like whether or not youre willing to go through
with it.
Alex: i would definitely say people are born with certain preferences.
Camille: I had a teacher that something really awesome one time, it was something like, ( . ) I
think that like everyone is born with sexual curiosity for both its just whatever sexuality you
settle into that is best for you, or something like that. I dont know, he obviously worded it
better than I did, I just really like the way he viewed it as like, what is best for you, that you
settle into throughout life
Iz: Yeah I like that guy
Camille: Are you two religious and if so what effects do you think your sexuality has one that?
Iz: Well Im not religious and I was raised catholic, and my grandpa is the one person not
religious, he just like, Im just gonna sleep through church um but like my grandma, huge
ladies of charities woman, she goes to church everyday, shes the only one who actually still does,
so knowing that, I probably, she would probably be one of the very last people I would ever tell..
so I guess the idea that most of my family is pretty religious, I just kind of keep that separate
from my life.
Alex: Well, Im very religious, still to this day, not very religious, Im very religious in that I

identify as a Christian still, I dont go to church anymore, because Im in college, but I was
raised all the way up until I graduated high school, every sunday we went to church
Iz: Seriously?
Alex: yeah so, I still very strongly rooted it christianity, granted Im not the type, my view in
christianity is that I believe in god, but like Im not the type to dismiss anyone elses beliefs just
cause they arent my beliefs is how I beleive, but as far as my sexualitiy, it actually strengthened
my belief in God, because I believe that after I came out I felt better and stronger as person and I
felt like I wasnt lying to other people, so I think yeah, it has strengthened my beliefs.
Camille: Awesome, so um, I dont exactly what branch your religion was, but did they have any
preconceived ideas about sexuality and if so how did that affect your..
Alex: the methodist um, recently changed their view, if Im not mistaken its not seen as a sin
anymore, but its not seen necessarily as a good thing, it like falls in this weird gray area, which
most secs of Christianity are adopting, the baptists are still a little far behind.
The end!!