Dear Editor,

October 11th was the National Coming Out Day, a day when people show their support for individuals self-identified as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender to come out and live as they understand and experience themselves. Unfortunately, that list is missing a newly emerging sexual minority group, those individuals who self-identify as Transorientation. Similar to transgender individuals who experience a disconnect between their biological gender/gender role and their psychological gender/gender role, Transorientation individuals experience a disconnect between their developed sexual orientation and their psychological “meant to be” orientation. One would hope that this omission is simply due to Transorientation’s new emergence in our ever-widening experience of diversity in an individual’s experience of self and not for political reasons as seems to be the case for Transorientation individuals in their everyday experience. Talking with several Transorientation individuals, when they come out, they are often met with accusations of either extreme self denial or homophobia and brainwashing by our conservative culture. These are hardly the responses of a caring community to individuals who are conflicted by their experience of self and looking for answers. As a campus that prides itself on its openness, acceptance, and diversity, GVSU should open its arms to Transorientation individuals, regardless of politics, and explore ways to help them find greater peace and happiness living their lives according to how they understand and experience themselves.

Nathan Ruark

[email protected]