The Supreme Court is expected very soon to hand down a major decision on LGBT workplace rights and YR Media’s Shirley Acuna Heredia worries the conservative court will make it harder to be out and employed.
The decision to come out felt like a gamble. Growing up as a first-generation American in a traditional Catholic family was a tug of war between what was expected of me, and who I wanted to be.
I was afraid being queer would push away my family. While it did change my relationship with a few relatives, being out also showed me the people I could count on.
I’ve gained a chosen family that gives me the freedom to unapologetically be myself — and one place where I’ve found that family is at Mills college. Every Mills class starts with students sharing their preferred gender pronouns, and the bike I use to commute to those classes is covered with stickers that represent my queer identity. It’s always getting compliments.
Outside of our progressive campus, however, those of us who are graduating may face new and harsh realities.