By ANA KNOBLOCK
Identity
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 11, 2011
It is safe to say that Fall Classic 2011 was a definite success for Identity this year. Identity Secretary Kate Catricala and I, Vice-President, made our way into the room where we would be holding our workshop on labels. We were armed with spray painted numbers on large and cumbersome poster board, about 70 more surveys than needed, and shaking nerves.
Beyond Binaries is a workshop that Robyn Ochs, a professional speaker and workshop leader who came to Saint Rose last year for Ally week, had done with our own students. The workshop consists of the participants filling out a survey on their own sexuality based on the Kinsey Scale. This scale is a self-evaluated scale that can change at any point in time. The numbers range from 0, being exclusively straight, and 6, being exclusively gay/lesbian.
After the surveys were anonymously completed, we collected the papers, shuffled them and then redistributed them. With the brightly painted numbers laid out on the floor, Kate read the questions out loud and the students were expected to go stand on the corresponding number they had on the paper. Not to our surprise, there were a lot of people standing close to numbers 0 and 1, though there were some who moved up and down the scale accordingly.
Once the activity was over, Kate and I began to address the controversial topic of labels. Kate shared with the group that the first time she did this workshop, there were some standing on 5, who identified as bisexual, and some standing on 3, who identified as gay. We wanted the students to see that labels are just labels, and though someone may look like a certain label, it is important to remember that that may not be how they see themselves. Ironically enough, Kate and I both wore plaid, which is stereotypical lesbian attire.
To be honest, I was not sure how students would take to this activity since not everyone is open-minded to the idea that sexuality is fluid. However, when we opened the floor up to questions and comments, we got quite the response. There were students who wanted to know more about labels, particularly the labels that LGBTQIAP (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered/transsexual, queer and questioning, intersex, asexual and ally and pansexual) stand for. Although this workshop was meant to educate the students, I think that in the end it also helped me realize how many supporters I am surrounded with.
