Speaker at the Dear Gender performance and talk on 9/29/2022, Stacey Waite is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Graduate Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a poet notable for her work on gender identity and sexuality.
Waite opened her presentation by providing some insight into what it is like living in the US as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, before performing Dear Gender, a poem from her chapbook Choke (2004). Following this, she read several more poems from another of her chapbooks, Love Poem to Androgyny (2006), with a focus on individuals being misgendered. Between each poem, Waite would provide an aside, giving her inspiration and reasoning for writing. Afterward, she explained her experiences while traveling the United States giving lectures and running workshops for queer youth in high schools and colleges. The overall objective of Waite was to inform and engage with students on the importance of gender identity, and sexuality, understanding these topics, and how we may overcome and work to help eradicate the discrimination that exists toward members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Listening to Waite’s poems and the backstories behind each one caused me to take time to think about the point of view of members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those currently facing internal struggles with identity and their place among peers. As a straight, cis-gender man, I would say it is far too easy to take for granted where I stand identity-wise, causing me to develop the idea that those around me have also determined these roles for themselves. Identity is such an individual-based concept, which seems to be overlooked frequently by many of those who would look down upon people faced with such struggles as trying to determine their identity. Hearing Waite speak on her personal experiences and the content of her poetry, specifically the stories of those being misgendered, opened my eyes, somewhat, to what I was unaware was missing. Being straight and cis, I’ve grown accustomed to being referred to as “he/him” and to not question who I am or am not attracted to; I’ve never faced battles against my own mind, trying to determine what I am, who I am, or why I have specific feelings. Empathy has long been a concept that I had a poor understanding of, but Waite’s poetry and its accompanying exposition urged me to re-evaluate how I view others who may potentially be dealing with inner conflict in silence.
The performance ended and was followed up with a recollection of one of her memories from college, which culminated in her closest friend cementing in her mind the belief that one of the greatest ways to increase awareness and public knowledge of the struggles of being in the queer youth community is through fellowship with those with the privilege and empathy. This stuck with me, and I noticed it did to many others in the audience. Perhaps Waite included this in her presentation because it could just as easily apply to many of the audience, especially at a college as diverse as Davidson. I wholeheartedly agree that someone with the power and ability to do “good”, i.e. being open and accepting of others’ personal choices and the way they live their lives without judgment should do so. Unfortunately, much of the United States is not quite accepting of those who are “different”, but the solution to this nevertheless remains to extend a welcoming hand to the LGBTQ+ community and cultivate deeper connections with its members.
Entering this presentation, I honestly wasn’t certain of what to think or even what I thought I knew on the topic of gender identity and sexuality. Naturally, I was aware of the general concepts of being heterosexual or homosexual, identifying as a man or a woman, etc. Listening to Waite speak on her experiences and share her perspective provided me with a new source of information, allowing my comprehension of these societal structures to grow. I now look forward to the future, utilizing the knowledge I garnered from Waite’s words, and reaching out to those who may face adversity and troubles. I can say with full confidence that taking this step toward a more inclusive and positive society excites me as I consider how far we could progress in the coming years. In my case, Waite accomplished the goal of her presentation effectively, and I am confident that the same can be said for many of the other students sitting in the audience.
