I’ve been questioning whether or not to write this particular blog.  I’ve come to the conclusion that this story needs to be shared.

During our narrative unit, I chose to wear a particular shirt that has the message “Free MOM Hugs”.  The MOM is written in rainbow, and is a clear nod to the GLBT community.  I know that the GLBT population has one of the largest percentage of individuals who attempt suicide. I also know that GLBT students can struggle with family acceptance of their identities.  Now, I don’t know about the identities of my students. It’s not my business or place to ask or know.  Sometimes students share with me.  Sometimes they don’t.  I do know that many members of the GLBT community feel under attack with all of the various national political policy changes, legal cases, and in general, the reactions they experience in society.  I made a conscious decision to wear that shirt.  And, I made a conscious decision to share a narrative of why I felt so strongly about wearing the shirt to demonstrate love and support for students who may not receive love and support from the others in their lives.

Part of what I shared with students is this. My experiences in Higher Ed started not in teaching, but in Residence Life and Housing.  I’ve seen firsthand how students learn to embrace their identities, and, what happens when they are met with rejection and indifference from their families.  I’ve seen religion and legalese poison relationships between children and their parents/siblings/families/extended families. And I’ve seen the moments when students feel helpless, alone, unloved, unwanted, and rejected from those they thought loved them unconditionally.  I have seen students at the lowest of the low points of their lives, helped clean up after suicide attempts, and talked through more self-harm/suicide ideations that I care to recount.   There were other stories and pieces I shared, which I won’t share here.

I also shared that I recognized that what I do matters – What I say. How I say it.  How I justify and explain my actions and thoughts – all of this matters.   And that it was important to me to share this message with them as a part of our narratives unit.  It was a demonstration of how we can use narrative to explain what we think and how we think… and the outcomes we desire as a result of our actions.  And my support of students who may identify as GLBT did not in any way lesson my support of others – but it did demonstrate to those who might feel alone that I do care, I do “see” them, and I support them just the way they are.

After class, I received this message from a student:

“Thank you for the great lecture this morning. I have never had a teacher, let alone an adult even semi close to me, show such support for the GLBT community. It reminded me of the problems I’ve been having with my parents for the past couple of years, it was truly the sliver of hope I was looking for.”

Never doubt that what we do matters.  It does.