LGBTQ+ Community Voices Series Presents: Is Straight-Passing a Privilege?: Paige Colburn

Description

LGBTQ Life is proud to host its LGBTQ+ Community Voices Series, designed to highlight under-examined parts of the LGBTQ community with the hope that these topics allow attendees to examine intersections of identities, develop skills as allies, and have a forum to share perspectives. Presenters are members of the Johns Hopkins communities who will share their stories, lead discussions, and help educate our community.

A recent article on Medium argued that whenever anyone in the LGBTQ+ community is "straight-passing," this only means that we are closeted to those with whom we pass. We widely accept the reality of the closet's emotional, mental, and physiological burdens. If passing is equivalent to closeting, then to pass can only be a burden, not a privilege. So argues the author of this one article on Medium that Paige Colburn read many months ago and discussed with her loved ones and now would like to discuss with you. Are you straight-passing? Do you know someone who is? How do you feel when you pass? Is it a burden? Or a privilege? Or both? Is the privilege-or-burden question dependent on the situation, or conditional in some other way? As someone who has personally identified myself as "straight-passing," the article gave Colburn thoughts and feelings. If the topic resonates with you, let's continue the conversation.