I was greatly appreciative of Thursday's class where we had a panel of five people opening up, to a classroom of about thirty people, and telling us personal stories of what happened to them when they came out to the closest people around them. I was glad to hear that the majority of the panel didn't have bad stories of their coming out experience. The story that shocked me the most was the story that the last lady shared about sending her ex husband an email, and finding out that not only did he not reply back to her with the cruel message, but he also decided to email it to people that she was extremely close with also, and before she got a chance to speak to them and let them hear it from her. It was very hard for me to try to hold back my reaction in the classroom when I heard this part. I couldn't believe that he would say something so extremely rude to the woman that had his children. She mentioned the fact that there communication between each other was very poor, but he crossed the line when he decided to forward the email to people that she was close to and even a women that she didn't even know. It is stories such as this one, that I'm sure is why many people are afraid to tell people that mean so much to them.
I just started reading "Look Both Ways" by Jennifer Baumgardner and instantly got drawn into the book. One of the main reasons why I think I enjoy this book so much is because I can relate to it in many different aspects. I really enjoy her writing style as well. She references a lot of my favorite TV shows such as Friends, One Tree Hill, and relates her and a past girlfriend to the characters Lenny and Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley which I enjoyed watching a lot as well.
Jennifer Baumgardner does a nice job describing her past relationships with Anastasia, Steven, and Amy. The first thing that drew me into this book was the way that she described her affection towards Anastasia and how her feelings toward her were completely different to all of her previous boyfriends. She was completely attracted to her but she seemed to always feel like she was in competition with her, whether it be between their looks or their writing. I also really enjoyed the part when she was in the relationship with Steven and he would think he was "pussy-whipped," her sister would reply, "no, you are pussy-equipped, (meaning ready for a relationship)," (pg.32). The more I read this book the more I learn that their sexuality doesn't have to be indefinite. The author doesn't have to be completely straight or only attracted to women. She had deep and meaningful relationships with both genders. I really do look forward to reading more of this book.
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I think it’s a great point to highlight the reality that not everyone’s ‘coming-out’ story is positive even today. I myself often forget the difficulties that still exist because of my generally supportive family and affirming coming-out. I appreciate that you find value in Look Both Ways, the author is effective at capturing the reader.
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