PRIDE STORIES | CONFIDENTLY MYSELF

As early as age 15, I suspected I was bisexual—but I tried to ignore those initial suspicions. Even though I had friends I knew would support me, I couldn’t help but second-guess my feelings.  

Fast forward to my sophomore year of college. I was a year into being an Alpha Gam when my suspicions arose again. This time, I couldn’t shake it. I had fallen in love and couldn’t ignore it.  

Three months of dating passed before I even considered telling my chapter sisters. I knew they would accept me, but those same fears from high school were still there. 

I started small by introducing my girlfriend to my little sis, Abby—and she was so supportive. It gave me confidence to come out to another sister, and that sister then came out to me! It was an eye-opening moment as I realized I wasn’t the only LGBTQ+ woman in our sisterhood.  

By March of 2020, I felt confident. Over spring break, I decided to come out to my initiating class and see how they responded. I sent a note on Snapchat and put my phone away for two hours. It was a scary two hours. I didn’t know what my sisters would think or how they would act when we all returned from break.  

After two hours, I checked my phone to find messages of overwhelming love and acceptance. Several even said they appreciated that I trusted them to tell them. I still tear up thinking about this experience.  

I’ve grown a lot since then. I now serve as the Vice President–Member Experience for my chapter, which is something I doubt I would have done if I did not feel so accepted and connected.  

I now speak openly to my sisters about my girlfriend of almost two years—and the Nu Alpha Chapter at Appalachian State University is now known as “the LGBTQ+ friendly chapter” on campus, which is a huge win! 

As the first openly queer collegiate member of my chapter, I am a proud advocate and trailblazer for queer women in the sorority community.  

I advise anyone who is hesitant about coming out to her chapter to take one step at a time and remember you are an Alpha Gam—it’s a tie that binds us all. Thank you to the wonderful women of the Nu Alpha Chapter for being my support system and my best friends. You are the reason I keep going. 

This post was written by Lucy Genda, Nu Alpha–Appalachian State University, and is a continuation of our LGBTQ+ focused member series from June. Click here to read previous posts. s posts.