Dear V,
After reading countless Dear V articles as I sit bored in different classes, I have come to one conclusion. The entire student-body, both men and women, must be gay. I forget the last time I actually read a “Dear V” article and it had some meaning for the straight student body that walks on this campus everyday. Basically every single question you receive and every answer you respond with is about being or trying homosexuality. So I’m just curious to ask is it just me, or are my friends I have discussed this with and I the only straight students at UM?
Sincerely,
Annoyed by Being Straight at UM
Dear Straight,
I am delighted that you would be so bold as to ask me this question. It opens the floor for much needed discussion about sexuality in college (and let’s face it, that’s what I’m all about).
When people joke about “experimenting” in college, there really is some truth to it. College is a time during which a lot of people learn what makes them tick. Or experience things they might never want anything to do with ever again. Whether you lost your virginity in high school, waited until college, or are still a virgin, I guarantee that college provides a wealth of firsts for everyone.
That being said, sexual orientation is a prevalent subject matter. Whether you’ve known that you’re gay all along and are coming out, have always been out and want to feel more comfortable in a welcoming environment, or have been questioning your sexuality and need to decide what works best for you, college is often a great opportunity to explore your options.
UM definitely boasts a diverse, tolerant student body with a strong gay community. That’s not to say that everyone is hitting for the other team, but with groups like SpectrUM on campus, it shows that there is no shortage of UM students that are at least rooting for them.
Now, I like to keep an open mind. When somebody writes me a letter, they usually don’t include things along the lines of, “I’m a lesbian” or “I’m a straight male.” The truth is, love is love. Sex is sex. Issues are issues. It is not my place to assign genders and sexual orientations to people who enlist my help.
No matter how embarrassing or obscure the issue, it can expand to a broader issue at hand, from which most of us can take a lesson. Be it broadening one’s horizons, trust, faith–what have you–we all become romantically impaired at one point or another. And now is a great time to learn how to handle these problems before entering the “real world.”
But I suppose you forgot to pick up a copy of The Hurricane the time I addressed the young man who was concerned about his penis being too big for his girlfriend’s vagina.
Best!
V
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