Hear directly from Point Scholars and Alumni.
I am fortunate and privileged to live in a one-bedroom apartment with my partner. Yet, I often complain about feeling isolated and trapped, despite having 750 square feet to live, work and quarantine together. Meanwhile, just 20 miles away, in San Quentin State Prison, approximately 3,507 incarcerated people share a 5 feet by 7 feet […]
I was dressed in a navy suit with red corgi socks and a pink bow tie. I had looked at myself in the mirror earlier in the morning and sincerely asked myself if I looked “too gay” for this interview. After all, I wanted to be taken seriously, and I did not want homophobia – […]
On October 7th, the country eagerly awaited oral argument in the Supreme Court case Harris Funeral Home v. EEOC. Along with two other cases, Harris Funeral Home was to decide whether employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or transgender status would be protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. And regardless of the […]
Picture this: It is September 6, 2018. Following a whirlwind of events, I’ve just landed in Los Angeles to attend a weekend conference with fellow scholarship recipients. I’m sitting in a room with over a dozen other LGBTQ+ community college students who have begun hurriedly getting to know each other and laughing. I am among […]
I spent a couple of hours in between classes browsing through children’s literature theory, as one does, not looking into anything too seriously. I had just been exposed to the genre of theory and was a little skeptical. What is there to say about Mother Goose and Captain Underpants? It wasn’t until I stumbled upon […]
It had been 3 years since I had returned to Ohio University to finish my undergraduate music degree, and almost everything had changed. Most of my colleagues had graduated and went on to start their careers or continue their education; I had never felt so vulnerable and alone as I did walking into the Ohio […]
I just completed my first semester of law school and yes, Elle Woods, it was hard. Prior to law school, I taught legal education to at-risk youth in non-traditional schools and juvenile justice centers throughout the Bay Area. I also monitored conditions of confinement in California prisons and jails. I have had the unique opportunity […]
Many trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people often have to weigh the risks that can be associated with using gendered restrooms and taking care of our basic needs if there are no gender neutral alternatives nearby. We must decide if we feel comfortable enough to even choose one gendered option or another, and evaluate if […]
I did not fully understand the idea of home until I stepped foot into the Pride House, my school’s official queer student housing, when I was 19. I dragged my suitcase into a small room under the stairs. I’ve lived in places longer — my house in New York was “home” for 18 years until […]
Rosie from Virginia asked: “What social activities can I host in my community to combat homophobia?” HSBC Point Scholar Lucas Dickerson responded: To battle homophobia, it’s best to start small and with love. In my case, having an area full of homophobia has a dire lack of community for those who may feel […]