OPEN. That’s the name of Clark University’s LGBTQA organization that I lead. It’s not an acronym at all, so recently we put it up to vote; “Open People Exclude No one” was the answer to our inquiry. Great thinking, but it seems like something’s missing.

OPEN. Open-minded, open to everyone, out in the open, open up, open-ended, our doors are always open, open arms, open up the closet, open to discussion, open to interpretation. “OPEN” packs a punch; it’s short, sweet, encompassing.

As for me, the many ambitions of OPEN keep me busy. My name is Hillary Gleason, and I’m an undergraduate student at Clark University in Worcester, MA. I’m a Junior, double majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies as well as Psychology. I’m a Point Scholar, CU’s OPEN President, a queer theory enthusiast, and a gay woman. I’m fascinated by the gender continuum in all of its fluidity and expressions. I’m a proud queer feminist and trust me—it’s a full-time job...

Since high school, I’ve been leading LGBTQA progams and support groups while learning about gender and sexuality. Yet it wasn’t until I encountered Point Foundation and was taken on as a scholar that I’ve been able to refine those skills. I was a pretty shy chick when all this all began, but over time I’ve begun to develop my abilities to lead, organize, and create. That’s a long story though, so I’ll save it for another time.

I once read somewhere that, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” Now, I’m not going to profess that I’m some angry little gay girl who can’t keep her nose out of other people’s business (however valid that may be), but I do think it’s important to pay attention. There’s a lot I want to do; a lot I will do. And with the people I’ve got backing me up, there’s no way you’ll catch me sitting pretty.

Open is where I stand right now. Not to overuse it, but that’s where my life is. I’m not positive where I’m headed; my life is one big, queer journey. So as I blog about my work on campus and within the global community, I hope to use this digital narrative to chronicle my exploits, adventures, ideas, and education. I hope to encourage other LGBTQA students to take initiative, come up with new ideas, and most importantly, to pay attention.