By Antonia Lopez, March 12, 2024
During last year’s National Coming Out Day, the Cal Poly Pomona Pride Center launched the “OUTList.” In the four months since its release, over 100 students, staff, faculty and alumni have publicly shared their LGBTQ+ identities on the online directory.
The OUTList, as stated on its website, is to help establish a sense of community on campus in the LGBTQ+ community.
Joshua Salazar, the Pride Center’s identity development and education coordinator, shared that the list was made in response to LGBTQ+ students requesting visibility on campus.
“We have a campus of about 30,000 folks, including faculty and staff, but we don’t know necessarily who’s queer,” said Salazar. “You can’t look at somebody and just assume, where you can necessarily with like race or ethnicity.”
Salazar explained that even with all the workshops the Pride Center hosted, such as safe zone training, it could only do so much to make LGBTQ+ students feel comfortable about their identity. He says the OUTList is a way to give power back to the individual.
“I think it’s one thing for us to call on folks and ask them to display themselves, but it’s another thing for folks to just want to do it because they see the greater purpose,” said Salazar. “And I think that that purpose is to promote visibility and to promote accountability.”
English student Melissa Luna, who goes by they/them pronouns, said they signed up via email, and really like what the OUTList aims to do.
“I like that it’s helping to create a community of people who are out and it’s a type of representation I think is really important,” said Luna.
Luna shared their own experiences with coming out, and why they wish they had something like the OUTList during that process.
“I didn’t come out until I was 18, and until then, I didn’t really have any teachers or classmates who were out,” said Luna. “I wonder if it would’ve been easier for me to come out or even realize I was queer at an earlier age if I had known someone who was.”
The email was also sent to faculty and staff, which is how CPP’s Academic Innovation Web Designer, Josue Ruiz found out the list and signed up.
Ruiz said he never heard of anything like the OUTList before. Ruiz believes it helps build community at CPP.
Ruiz also hopes that the OUTList can help students better connect to their teachers and staff.
“I hope that just by representing faculty and staff on that OUTList that students can relate to them and find those mentors, maybe even perhaps that would enrich their like experience at Cal Poly Pomona,” Ruiz said.
Angelina Valencia, a food science and tech student, signed up for the list when it launched. She shared that she believes it can help many students feel less alone.
“I feel happy that people are comfortable with coming out,” said Valencia. “I think part of college is learning new things and being comfortable with different types of people.”
Valencia shared that she came from a family that accepted her identity but sympathizes with those who may not and hopes the list can help them find others they can feel safe with.
“It’s a pretty brave thing to put your name on there, because you’re saying it, knowing that it could be dangerous,” said Valencia.
While the OUTList aims to destroy barriers and establish community, there are also concerns of students being targeted for their LGBTQ+ identity.
Salazar shared the only way to access the list is through a verified CPP account, limiting exposure of it to the just the campus and former students.
Currently, there is no link on the website to submit complaints.
In the case that harassment comes from a person with a CPP account, Salazar shared there are many services on campus available for these situations.
“We have various campus resources to help us out, whether that’s Office of Equity and Compliance, Title IX and Survivor Advocacy Services,” said Salazar. “We also have our CARE Center and CAPS.”
Salazar said that the Pride Center have worked with the resources before.
Luna said there would always be a bit of fear at the back of their mind, but they still want to be out and open with their identity.
“Whether you choose to come out, at least for me, I’m prioritizing visibility,”said Luna. “For example, I come from a family who is not very accepting of that part of my life and that part of my identity. When I chose to come out to them, I decided that there might be other people in my family who are queer but they’re not out because they’re afraid of being rejected.”
Salazar also emphasized that the list is optional and does not want students to feel pressured into coming out.
“It’s OK not to be out,” said Salazar. “It’s OK just to be questioning your gender. It’s OK to want to keep something sacred and private and to come out when you’re ready.”
Salazar went on to share that students should do what’s best for them and explore their sexuality at their own pace.
For students who may change their identities later, Salazar shared that there is no option to update the profile at this time but students can reach out to the Pride Center through email or submit a new form.
“We’re constantly growing and evolving as humans and, you know, what I feel that I am today, I could feel differently tomorrow,” said Salazar.
When sharing his experience in coming out, Ruiz said him putting himself out there is an act of self-love. Quoting RuPaul, Ruiz said “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
Feature image courtesy of Pride Center at Cal Poly Pomona.