Ernesto Leon: Your safety is just as important as your coming out journey
Ernesto Leon graduated from CSUB in Spring 2023 with a bachelor’s in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism. Leon was also the Digital Editor-in-Chief of The Runner and received the Outstanding Graduate Award from the Communications Department.
Although Leon is a bit more comfortable in his skin now, growing up in a not-so-progressive place doesn’t make the Coming Out journey easy.
Leon grew up in a Catholic family, which added another aspect of hard conversations regarding topics of the LGBTQ+ community.
The pivotal start to owning his identity as a gay man within the LGBTQ+ community began when Leon saw people “Out and Proud” and started conversing with people who were going through the same thing.
One of the scariest part about being Queer is coming out to your family.
“It wasn’t a picture-perfect movie thing,” said Leon.
Leon encourages those coming out to their family to create patience and understand now that they have to change their perspective of you.
For those who are conflicted on the coming out process, Leon suggests “Only do [come out] if you know you’re going to be safe… your life is a lot more important.”
Kris Graffendorf: Journey to creating LGBTQ+ representation on campus
When you see someone who is “Out and Proud,” it can make it easier to be yourself. When Kris Graffendorf, interim director of Undergraduate Advising, first applied to work at CSUB around ten years ago, a driving factor was that the university CSU Bakersfield had LGBTQ+ recognition.
Graffendorf was a big part of the university’s LGBTQ+ community from the beginning. Graffendorf quickly got involved as a founding member of the LGBTQ+ Pride Faculty and Staff Affinity group on campus.
She also introduced Lavender Graduation and evolved OUTober into a month-long celebration.
“They can come to CSUB and be who they are,” said Graffendorf.
In the last ten years, Graffendorf has stayed involved in LGBTQ+ groups and represented herself in the community to show students it’s okay to be who they are.
Graffendorf believes that when students are able to see
faculty, staff, and the CSUB community involved in the LGBTQ+ community it creates a safer atmosphere.
Katy Hanson: Identifying as Bisexual doesn’t make me any less of the LGBTQ+ community.
From being a student, to becoming a faculty member, finding out who you are is a journey. Katy Hanson, religious and Women and Gender studies lecturer at Cal State Bakersfield, identifies as a bisexual woman, yet it took her a while to figure out her own identity.
When Hanson was a student at CSUB, it was just the beginning of figuring out who she was. As she went into graduate school, she was more confident in her identity, and now, as a faculty member, she is out. Given the topics of her class, her identity sometimes comes up when necessary.
Discovering who you are can take some time, you must listen and stay true to yourself.
“Listening to myself… undoing stuff I learned from pop culture… reading about other people’s experience, meeting people, being friends with people of various sexual orientations.” Hanson shared things that helped her discover who she was.
There sometimes can be stigmas and biphobia towards individuals in the LGBTQ+ community who identify as bisexual, expressed Hanson.
Hanson said that, on the one hand, you have the straight community telling you that you should pick a side. On the other hand, the queer community can say that you are faking it, especially when you have the privilege of being in a straight-passing relationship.
While Hanson can appreciate and understand the resentment that bisexuals face, she explains how it can lead to biphobia and there should be conversations surrounding that topic.
Hanson reminds the LGBTQ+ that everyone’s identity in the LGBTQ+ community is valid and important.
Jeremiah Sataraka: Inclusivity matters in the LGBTQ+ community
“The world needs to hear more stories about communities of color,” said Jeremiah Sataraka, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies and co-chair of the LGBTQ+ PRIDE Faculty and staff Affinity Group at CSUB.
Sataraka identifies as a gay Samoan-Korean man. Although their sexuality comes up, Satararka lives their life as everyone else does.
Satakara feels like there needs to be a conversation around the Western framework of how the LGBTQ+ community is presented.
When communities are more inclusive about cultures and sexual identities, it can create a conversation and promote growth, Satakara explained.
Sataraka spoke about his history project on an area within the LGBTQ+ community known as QTPI, Queer and/or Transgender Pacific Islanders.
This project was presented through the Kegley Institute of Ethics on Oct. 5.
“I like the term. It acknowledges NH/PI (Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders) and queer identities,” says Satarkara.
Sataraka explains that members of the LGBTQ+ community can always work on being more inclusive towards every aspect of the community, growing their knowledge, and supporting everyone within the community.
