What follows in a
tentative version of Crossroad's Guiding Statement. It has yet to be
approved by a consensus of Crossroads members. It will function as a
sort of mission statement for the group, and its functions. It addresses
what Crossroads has to offer to people at every stage of self
development their queer identity.
Crossroads Guiding Statement
Whom Crossroads Serves and How
Crossroads
was formed as a confidential conversation group focused on dealing with
life changing questions, and dealing with them within the Christian
idiom. Over time, the group has changed its focus to one centered
specifically on issues related to being gay, lesbian, bisexual, gender
queer, or questioning in today's society. Crossroads welcomes people of
all levels of self identification, from the most active activist minded
person, to the person still confused about the entire subject of sexual
orientation
Crossroads exists as a safe, friendly place for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, intersex, asexual, two spirited,
queer, or questioning people in the PLU community to grow in their
personal understanding of their sexuality, share experiences of their
lives, and help others to form a positive self-image and support
structure. Though the group's most vital focus is on the person
questioning their own sexuality, the group has much to offer people at
any stage in their own personal discoveries.
To a person who has
yet to identify to others as LGBTQ, someone who is "in the closet," the
group offers a place where such a person can begin to learn about what
it is to be a sexual minority. Offering an environment where one is not
required to "come out" as gay, but where one is simply safe to be one's
self helps to show that being "queer" is not the "end of the world."
Also, the presence of LGBTQ people of various levels of "out-ness" can
help to form a path to the eventual goal of acceptance by the closeted
person of a positive self image as an LGBTQ person.
Once out, a
young LGBTQ person is faced with the task of defining what that title
means to herself or himself. It is very difficult to balance the images
(often negative) received from popular culture about queer life with the
expectations and needs of a budding queer youth. To that end, Crossroads
seeks to help people explore what it means to them to be LGBTQ, and how
they plan on dealing with the stereotypes of society concerning them. The
hope is that over time, the LGBTQ person will come to an understanding
about their own sexual minority status, and how they will choose to
live in society.
As the process of coming out is never ending, so
too is the learning one can do about one's own sexuality. As our
culture changes and a Crossroads goer experiences more in life, their
definition of what it means to be gay or lesbian may change. They still
have the support of Crossroads to help adjust and redefine her or his
idea of self. The inclusion of people further along in the coming out
process that those who are just beginning adds a richness and variety
of experiences from which all may draw and benefit. The newest members
gain from the olders, and vice versa. By encouraging a safe, accepting,
friendly conversation based support group, all are offered the
opportunity to grow and develop and idea of who they are as
individuals, and how they can survive in this difficult world in which
we live.
Andrew Luchesi
August 10th, 2006
Former Crossroads Representative
xroads@plu.edu
