Saturday January 24th, 2016

LGBTQ Peer Support Group: Still Being Ignored

After 7 months of patience I am still waiting to even hear from administration about my proposed group for a lgbtq support system. Under the old administration it was all but approved pending an approved volunteer. Which took me a few months because let's face it, I reached out to every single LGBTQ community group I could think of and not a single one responded, not even a single letter.
I was thoroughly shocked at this because after all, I thought that people were genuinely interested in helping out their community. I guess inmates are exempt. Between me and you though, this may be the best thing that's ever happened to me. Being ignored makes you feel like no one cares, like there is no reason to exist or to fight for your cause or what you believe in or anything at all really. But, I know in my heart that it just isn't right for a whole group of people to be ignored completely. I know that the gay community in here is suffering and no one is helping. No one out there, and certainly no one in here.
No...people are all to happy to let this group sit on the sidelines and be alone at that. It seems that no one understands and those that do are staying silent. Because they don't have to see us or hear us, or maybe they think it's our due, because we made a mistake. Who knows, whatever the reason, it's not right.
Let me reiterate something to you, we'll start with a basic question. Why won't they put a man in a women's prison? The answer is multi-faceted but simple: Because he would have no one to be supported by. There would be no one who understood how he is thinking. When he views the world, it's through a masculine thought process. When he talks about tv, it's about the tv that is typically aimed at men and when he reacts emotionally, it's with emotions that are used in different ways then women. The bottom line is, men are different then women in many ways, many beautiful ways. As are gay men from straight men. We differ in ways that most straight men don't comprehend. When we watch tv, its with a homosexual thought process. Which differs in that when we look at women, its not in a objectifiable way. We look at women as peers, where as straight men consider there physical attractiveness. When we see attractive men, we think about that. Who are we going to talk to about that? Guys talk about sports all the time and connect in ways through what they watch, listen to or see. Gay men do the same thing, there is no difference except the subject content. That's where we differ.

We need to be able to talk to each other in a setting that enables us to provide emotional support and stability. We do alright in this setting, however, we only do alright when we have a support system that we can be transparent with. Without that, we simply suffer. That's not right and I am utterly confused by why the world is letting it happen. I am shocked that DOC is just content to let us suffer. In fact, recently I got moved and I have the opinion it was a set-up for failure, hoping that I would be silenced in my outrage about the gay community in here being mistreated and ignored. But I am doing fine, I am rolling with the times, riding the wave, if you will.
At some point, DOC, you are going to have to give an answer on my proposal and help us stay safe here at Stafford Creek Corrections

You can't ignore me forever.

With Love and a plently patience,

Jeff Utnage 823469