As the school year begins, and the LavLaw6 depart for the Huge Gay Career Fair, and many of you are either interviewing on campus or scrambling for that elusive job...have you stopped to think what you really want to do with your life?
Many of you no doubt came to law school with a resume of achievement in extra-curricular activities. Doing more than what is expected of you is a sign of leadership and a motivated, well-rounded individual. You probably threw in some community service or charitable work too, either because you cared about it or because it was just good for the law school application and resume.
So now the hunt for a job is on, and the idea that you will be making big bucks as a pricey lawyer...some day. I just want to ask: what happened to you along the way? Where is that generosity of spirit that marks the most jaded of queers? There isn't one of us who hasn't felt the sting of discrimination, loathing, taunts, or oppression -- unless you are so closeted that no one can possibly identify you as being who you truly are.
To be your authentic self, you need to come out. And you need to tell people to knock it off if they put down queers, blacks, asians, latinos, disabled, women, Jews, Christians, Muslims, or whatever. The prejudice you have felt must be translated into understanding how it must feel for all oppressed people.
This also translates into being active in Pride Law. It means taking a stand in your personal life to live a good public life. It means making time to support the causes that matter to you. Because all the money and fame and glory and whatever means nothing if you are a tired, uncaring robot-person who never gave a crap enough to help the people who came after you.
It is about paving the way, making a place safe for other queers and people of all differences to feel welcome and comfortable and
right about being here. Do you feel comfortable here, or do you feel the stigma of not quite measuring up to the true standard of what it takes to be a good lawyer?
If not, what are you going to do to change that? When you leave here will it be a safer, more engaged and evolved school -- or will queers and Pride Law be relegated into an afterthought, the kind of marginalized group that can be dismissed as "those" kind of people.
Let's not be "those" kind of people. Let's join in the process of being a part of the big "we" -- be active in Pride Law, help make a difference, dont expect others to carry the ball and do the work. To claim membership in this group, you have to walk the talk. The thing about Pride Law is -- if you don't care, who will?
So what do you want to do with your life?
