"Is a Gay Play a Play that Has Sex with Other Plays?"

The first, and most important, thing we talked about in Gay and Lesbian Lit were stereotypes. I was horrified to learn of all the terrible things people think and say. It's absolutely insane. This trimester, I learned that people are deficient in the intelligence area. It is lost on me how people can think the way they do. However, it has also been reinforced that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I do both respect and believe that most stereotypes do stem from a truth.

I loved this class. I would come into school, 7:30 in the morning, wanting to go back to bed and never get up. But then I had A Period Gay and Lesbian Lit, and all of a sudden, my whole day was better. By the next period, I was smiling, laughing, and telling stories about class that day. I enjoyed the outrageous books we read like Ruby Fruit Jungle, but I also loved the serious, heart-wrenching novels like Giovanni's Room and The Hours. The film about Oscar Wilde fascinated and humored me, but I think my two favorite parts about this class were the writing and the class discussions. I actually loved the journal we wrote for The Hours. I connected so much to the characters, and being able to write creatively however I felt was right was an amazing feeling. Like Virginia Woolfe said she did, I just let my hand go. All of a sudden, there were emotions flowing across the page. I also, surprisingly, felt comfortable with the analytical essays. Those used to be a struggle of mine, but I feel confident now in my ability to write what I have to.

There are just no words to describe the class discussions. Because of this, I am going to be creative, and write two haikus about the class.

Laughing my butt off

Flamboyant conversations

Innocence is gone

Opinions vary

Grave topics bring differences

We learn something new

It's a good think this is a literature class, I suppose. But back to the class discussions: they absolutely blew my mind. I loved the blatant conversations about things I never would have talked about otherwise, such as phallic symbols, but I also took pleasure in the more serious, heated conversations when everyone's opinion was really something to get a grasp of. It was hard when we were discussing depression and suicide in The Hours because I sometimes felt like I was defending myself instead of the character, but all in all, the talks were still a great experience.

This isn't necessarily supposed to be part of the reflection, but I think what I loved most about the class were the teachers. I have never felt so comfortable and so compelled to truly be myself. I've always known English was my strong point, but my confidence was boosted and renewed. This really was a great experience for me, and I'm so sad it's ending. I learned that being yourself is what life is all about. Don't be ashamed, don't hold back, and don't be afraid. Who you are is wonderful.

That's what I learned. Thank you J