I feel pretty shitty about this, because I feel lucky to be at a school that has a LGBTQ club and is in general very accepting. So many people at my school are out, and living happy dating lives, I just feel stuck in the closet. The club meets once a week, and almost every week this year on the day it is I try to go but then become too nervous, so I walk past the door instead of going in. I think it might help if I knew what a typical meeting would be like. What do people typically do in LGBTQ or GSA club? When I walk in, will people ask me about my orientation? Say anything at all? Thanks in advance for the advice. I really appreciate it. :help:
What you are feeling is perfectly normal. I've never been to a GSA or college LGBT club, but the first time I attended a support group for married gay men I didn't know what to expect and I was scared sh1tless. It turned out to be full of normal people, just like me, they made me feel at home and one of the gang. I would imagine the clubs you have in mind would be the same. Full of people like yourself, that until recently were scared to go to an LGBT thing. P.S.: don't give out to yourself for being nervous. Anyone that says they weren't nervous is lying. (*hug*)
What exactly your club does could be slightly different. In my school's club, we talk about any issues that have come up, or sometimes the leaders might have a set discussion ahead of time, or we might be working on an event or activity (we've had bring a teacher days in the past, and those are always good). People should not ask about your orientation. Hopefully, as my school does, your club will have a confidentiality rule. That is, whoever comes to the club and what they say doesn't leave the room. Your school could be different, but it could be the same. Do you know any of the club presidents closely? Or any other members? They might be helpful people to talk to.
I never went to one in high school, but I've been to the one at my university a few times. I was super nervous... I ended up going to an event they had, and was able to meet some people before going to an actual meeting. So, if you know anyone who attends, that's probably your easiest bet. The club at my university has information/discussion nights, game nights, movie nights, events, and so on, typically lasting over an hour. I imagine a high school club would have shorter meetings with something less resource-intensive, like a discussion or maybe watching a movie. But what will happen will vary depending on the club. Sometimes people would bring their orientation up as it became relevant to the discussion, but otherwise it wasn't a big deal. Everyone just asked the standard meeting-new-people questions like what classes are you taking, what hobbies do you have, etc. I know it can be scary but go for it, you'll be fine
It can be scary to go to a meeting for the first time. I never attended any meetings until I started college. From my understanding, they will generally have activities planned for meetings. Also, sometimes they will go around the room and have people say their names and sometimes a fact about them. It also may be good to to try to find out if you know anybody that attends the group. This way, you can get more of an idea what that group does from them.
