Recently, I got an opportunity to attend an event hosted by the LGBT community. The event was a transformative experience for me in that it opened my eyes to the struggles some communities face and how society overlooks this issue. It is overwhelming to imagine that instead of offering solutions to these marginalized groups, society chooses to ignore them. The event was held in Texas City, and it featured activities and speakers of the group. It provided a platform where discussions about education and empowerment could be discussed. Attending the event broadened my understanding of the issues facing this group, prompting a commitment to advocating social change.
I need to confess that before the event, my understanding of the challenges that this group faced was minimal. I had little to no knowledge about the challenges of this group and, therefore, needed more depth in the awareness of their challenges. The event gave me an opportunity to deal with my preconceived notions about the group and engage in more meaningful dialogue. It gave me an opportunity to bridge the gap between my ignorance and the reality of the struggles that this group faces. The awareness gained from this event became a catalyst to the journey of commitment towards taking part in trying to solve the issues at hand.
The event lasted for four days, and it included a variety of sessions. The agenda involved a variety of sessions aimed at raising awareness and educating the general public about the group’s issues (Burgress et al., 2007). There were keynote speakers who played the role of sharing their personal stories. Some workshops were addressed revolving around marginalized groups. The supergroups narrated highlighted a deep sense of resilience within this group. The workshops dealt with systemic issues head-on, contributing to a deeper understanding of the issues at hand. The activities carried out during the event made the event rich and deeply immersed the audience in the community’s issues.
During the event, I observed a sense of solidarity among the people who were in attendance. Feelings of sorrow and sympathy swept over me as I listened to the detailed stories of the struggles of the group. The stories created a deep sense of awareness and compassion within me. The people shared their stories while supporting each other, creating an air of determination and resilience. It was inspiring and humbling to see a community community supporting each other. The event also included cultural performances that brought about feelings of joy and celebration. I experienced feelings of sorrow and empathy listening to this group narrate the struggles they were facing. During the celebration of cultural performances, my feelings changed, and I became more joyful. The emotional rollercoaster clearly demonstrated the nature of these people’s lived experiences (Forscher, 2014). It was now clear to me that the emotional roller coaster I was experiencing was an essential part of understanding this community’s experiences.
My experience attending this event significantly resonated with the concepts learned in class. It felt like a real-world extension of the theoretical knowledge I had gained in the classroom. It illustrated the intersectionality of the issues this group was facing, causing an abstraction of the theories learned into real-world experiences. The event also challenged my pre-existing beliefs, prompting personal growth. The discussions made in class, together with the narration of lived experiences, put me in a position to reevaluate and modify my perspectives. The emotional and intellectual alignment demonstrated the dynamic nature of understanding social issues (Devine et al., 2012). It also emphasized the importance of questioning one’s beliefs to achieve a more enlightened worldview.
Attending the event had a long-lasting impact on my perspective concerning this community. My mind opened up, and I could now recognize the urgency of raising awareness about the challenges facing marginalized groups and advocating change for these people. Witnessing their challenges and resilience caused to me to reevaluate societal norms (Presseau et al., 2019). I felt the existing societal structures were unfair to the marginalized communities, and at that moment, it was necessary to dismantle these oppressive systems. Additionally, I was prompted to question societal norms and make a step in considering the role I could play in dismantling oppressive systems.
Since I am well aware of the challenges this marginalized group is facing, I am fully committed to making a positive contribution. I intend to actively look for opportunities to create awareness about the challenges this group is facing, amplifying their voices and advocating for changes that address systemic inequalities. I am also dedicated to promoting empathy and understanding by educating people on the challenges that this community faces. This will not only foster personal growth but also a call to action (Luu et al., 2022). My goal is to advocate for policy changes that address system inequalities in a venture to dismantle oppressive structures.
References
Burgess, D., Lee, R., Tran, A., & Van Ryn, M. (2007). Effects of perceived discrimination on mental health and mental health services utilization among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons. Journal of LGBT health research, 3(4), 1-14.
Devine, P. G., Forscher, P. S., Austin, A. J., & Cox, W. T. (2012). Long-term reduction in implicit race bias: A prejudice habit-breaking intervention. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(6), 1267-1278.
Forscher, P. S., & Devine, P. G. (2014). I am breaking the Prejudice habit. Dual-process theories of the social mind, 468-482.
Luu, L. P., & Inman, A. G. (2022). Social justice advocacy: the role of race and gender prejudice, injustice, and diversity experiences. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 35(3), 652-676.
Presseau, C., Luu, L. P., Inman, A. G., & DeBlaere, C. (2019). Trainee social justice advocacy: Investigating the roles of training factors and multicultural competence. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 32(2), 260-274.
write