On Friday Nov. 21 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. the Philosophy club and the Psychology club co-sponsored a Queer Studies Discussion Panel.

“What I’ve learned is that the more people understand, the more accepting they are,” said Claire Purvis, president of the Psychology Club.

The discussion panel consisted of students from the University of Maryland, College Park. Guy Hostetter, Ian McAdams, Angie Natoli and Nicholas AthaydeRizzaro are all taking a course called LGBT 350. The course involves hosting panels
that discuss LGBT issues and this was one of the panels that were open.

“I think if I have the power to educate people on the LGBT community on my own personal story, I should take that power and utilize it,” said Natoli. “I took this class specifically for that reason.”

In a room stacked with both students and faculty, the panel addressed questions and concerns that both students and faculty had about the LGBT panel.

Hostetter, dietetics and gender studies major and former AACC student shared with students of his coming out story. He didn’t identify as gay until someone pulled him aside and explained to him that there was a term, joking that he “never had a coming out experience because [he] was technically never in,” said Hostetter.

Sharing these experiences with other students and helping mentor others along the way is one of the main reasons why the organizers of the queer panel decided to do this.

“With understanding comes tolerance,” said Carolin Woolson professor of philosophy, gender studies and sexuality and the advisor of the philosophy club.