The Drag Show

So we had the Drag Show last week, and I think it was a success. At least it was a success in terms of the number of people who showed up, but I am not sure about how many people "got" the point of the show? Do Duke students understand the gender play and why we had the show? I am not sure.

The Drag Show is a great "social" occasion where we are able to increase the presence of both Blue Devils United and the LGBTQ Community on campus. It is a chance for students to showcase their talent and to have a little fun. Does the Drag Show have a political element to it? Should that be the focus? Or is it enough to just make the statement that we make and give Duke a taste of a part of the LGBTQ Community they do not usually see?

I think it is a touch balancing act. If we just make it a social and performance event, than it is likely that our message, of shock, acceptance, and understanding, may be lost though the "hilarity" that people see. However, if we politicize and shock too much, do we risk alienating our audience so that they shut out and ignore the cultural statements we are trying to challenge and make?

I pose these questions to you, so that we can work on how we present future Drag Shows and the Duke LGBTQ Community so that we can effectively and accurately promote our causes.

Let us know what you think.

"michael"

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Duke Parties

Two more anonymous contributions (1 of 2):

I'm a fun guy, and I like going to parties to drink and get tipsy. But recently I have had a strong aversion to large social events. Why? Because I want something more out of my time now. It's second semester already yet I'm still single and it sucks. Seeing everyone else dancing and having fun, eyeing other people, and getting something real out of their nights just makes me want to go back to my room and cry.

 

I talk to my friends about this, and they tell me to give it time and to keep on trying. I know they have the best intentions, but a part of me is just tired of trying. When am I going to get somewhere? When is Mr. Right or, at this point, anyone going to show up? You know what? FML

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Valentine's Day

Two weeks away...

What are people getting significant others for Vday? I need some ideas.

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Meeting People

Two more anonymous contributions (first one):

I have been gradually coming out to more and more people here at Duke, but I have really yet to find a place suited to me for meeting and hanging out with other gay guys (and girls). While I haven't been too actively exploring my options, I still have begun to get a little frustrated by what I know to be my available choices. I see guys talking on here about their great experiences at Duke, and in other posts they mention their boyfriends and bringing guys back to their rooms. This at least affirms that there are ways of meeting people at Duke. My question for everyone, however, is where have you personally met your LGBT friends and partners at Duke and in the more expansive Triangle community?

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Gay Nightlife at Duke

Going out is one of the best things about being gay. Gay clubs, parties, and bars are just more fun than Shooters II. Let's talk about what people do and are looking for in their social scene.

I think one of the most difficult things about being gay at Duke is not having a good gay social scence in the area. So my question is, what do people do at night? Do you have a gay group of friends to go out with? Do your straight friends come to gay bars/parties/clubs/the center with you? Do you even go to gay events? Are there people out there that wish they had a gay group, but just can't seem to get connected to the right people?

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Out and Happy at Duke

Edited/Clarified: Duke isn't perfect, but neither is any college. I am overwhelmingly satisfied that I came here, despite the challenges I have faced (academically, socially, and "gay" related). I am in a relationship, I am gay, I am a senior, I am a Dukie, I am me, and I am happy.

Edits in Black

Seeing so much negativity in the posts here and on the Me Too Blog, I often wonder what I am doing different that makes me feel different, and I realize that it isn't that I have done anything different, but I think that my perspective may be different. I admit that I have been at Duke for a while now, and am ready to get out of here, but it is not because of the negative experiences I have had here. I'm just ready to move on and take the next step. I am HAPPY at Duke and couldn't see myself anywhere else, despite the issues I have been confronted with.

I have taken interesting courses with professors who for the most part care about their students. I have had great groups of friends who have supported me and embraced me when I came out to them my freshman year. Being out on campus for about two and a half years now has not been a bad experience, but has, in fact, been the best adventure of my life. I have felt free at Duke to be myself for the most part (maybe censored as I walk by frat sections, but its just like living in Durham, you learn what is safe and what is not). The Center for LGBT Life gave me a place to spend time and meet people, and I learned a few things there. I learned that not all gays and lesbians fit the stereotypes that have been built up about us, and I learned that the LGBT students who visit the Center come from all walks of life and that it is much harder to label someone than I previously thought. I was scared to come to the LGBT Center my freshman year, but I don't think I would be as happy and as comfortable a person today if it hadn't been for that short walk almost three years ago.

I admit that I am not wholely committed to the "gay scene" at Duke, and I therefore don't know what drama does happen. However, maybe that is a testament to the fact that not everyone has to fit some mold to be gay at Duke. You can be who you are while taking advantage of the resources that are available to you so that you feel comfortable. I still encourage everyone to come out and be honest with yourself, your family, and your friends. But it is not necessary to become an active member of the LGBT Center (although it is there for you if you want it) to be out at Duke.

Duke isn't perfect, but neither is any college. I am overwhelmingly satisfied that I came here, despite the few challenges I have faced (academically, socially, and "gay" related). I am in a relationship, I am gay, I am a senior, I am a Dukie, I am me, and I am happy. You can be all of these and more at Duke. I just think that although we concentrate on the bad things while we are here, it will be the good things that happen that will shape our futures and shape our views of Duke after we have left.

My perspective is that of an out senior who now is thinking back on his years as an LGBT student at Duke. At times I have been negative about Duke and about situations I have experienced. I have been stared at, made fun of, insulted, and confronted by a Duke staff member about my sexuality, and those were all bad experiences. However, I don't dwell on those things and although I definitely see the benefit in expressing them on this blog, I would hope that we can also express the positive experiences we have had at Duke. Those are the times we will remember most, and those are the times that I do remember most as I realize that my time here is limited and coming to an end.

If this came across as a pompous disply of some sort of "superiority," it wasn't meant that way. I only wanted to give those reading this blog a chance to see the positives that I don't think have been expressed up to this point. Duke is, overall, a great place to be whether or not you are gay. If it was that bad and made us that unhappy, why would we stay here?

Thank You,

"michael"

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