I asked the LGBTQIA+ alumni if they had any particular memories or stories from their time at TLU that they felt comfortable sharing, and whether they had any thoughts, feelings, or reflections on their LGBTQIA+ identities while at TLU. Katy Wallace said, “I have a lot of good memories there and a few bad. I met my wife at TLU and I think we were possibly the most public queer couple on campus at the time. There was a lot of support from a variety of professors and many allies on campus that never explicitly said anything but treated us wonderfully and made known in their own ways that we were supported. I’m still in touch with a few of them! I remember in particular Dr. Vrooman wanting to feature some different couples for an ethics of marriage course and happily taking my suggestion for a local lesbian couple, and after that, letting my final communications speech be an argument in favor of gay marriage.”

In addition to Dr. Vrooman, alumni also mentioned Dr. Sia as an important ally during their years at TLU. Katy described her as “absolutely supportive and nonjudgmental, and a person that I could easily go and vent to about any of my frustrations, particularly dealing with sexuality,” illustrating the importance of finding support at TLU. Katy also said that Pastor Greg made sure everyone knew that the church was open to everyone, and that he was deeply supportive of them pursuing their goal of becoming a pastor. Katy also dealt with some rough patches too, unfortunately. They described the way friends would spontaneously decide they couldn’t support Katy’s “lifestyle,” and would just stop interacting with Katy. There was also an incident when some athletes shouted homophobic things at Katy, although Katy also added that the situation “was handled really well by Dean Quiros and Coach Miller and it never happened to me again.” They also mentioned that just as they were graduating, TLU had enrolled the first trans student that Katy knew of, and that from what they could see, TLU seemed to be doing what it could to create a welcoming environment for that student. Katy ended by saying, “I think the feeling I have most about TLU and my identities is gratitude. It’s not easy being a very intersectional minority in Texas, let alone in small towns, but for the most part, TLU and Seguin have been safe havens. While at TLU, even if in my own anxiety I feared some sort of hate crime, it never even kind of happened. I was always physically safe and in a space where I could do the mental/emotional work to figure out who I am. There were negative things that happened and interactions and situations that could have gone better, but I always felt like the school operated on the best information it had. I do also feel like TLU has avoided actively seeking information on LGBTQIA+ identities in an effort to avoid angering more conservative donors and have avoided some course subject matter that could be taught through a queer lens, (we can talk about queer theology, not just queer sexuality!) and I hope to see that change in the future and would like to see queer interpretations and experience become a part of ‘the norm.’”

Another LGBTQIA+ alumnus, Randy Lee Lynn, described TLU as a supportive family, saying that his college years helped him see that being gay wasn’t a bad—or even perhaps very big—thing. Yet another alumnus described how she found herself in between labels at TLU, and how her friends made certain comments that have always stayed with her. She said that these comments were minor, but they still stung. For example, when she identified as pansexual, her friends teased her about things such as being attracted to cooking supplies (how original), and that even a lesbian friend would join in poking fun at her. When I asked her if she had any reflections on her LGBTQIA+ experience at TLU, she said, “I was moving between labels, thinking about what I wanted for my life, and gained the right to marry while I was at TLU. It was very formative to me in terms of accepting myself. There was a lot of shame and fear along the way, but I came out the other side much more comfortable with who I am and am now pretty universally out. Without this time to figure out who I was, I don’t think I’d have been comfortable being out in the workplace. It also made me feel less attached to labels, and more concerned with working on healing and growth as opposed to fitting into a box.”

Overall, TLU has been a formative place for many people, including, of course, LGBTQIA+ students. These growing-up college years are important ones, and creating a supportive, safe environment for all students is an important part of TLU’s ongoing story.