Jacob Matthews never actually questioned his masculinity. He assumed that he was right throughout his entire life, not thinking about it. But when others began to question his sexuality, he took a step up and self-reflected.
“I didn’t realize I was drawn to the same sex until sixth or seventh grade when I really started to notice. I mean, it’s just like, best?” Matthews said.
Matthews, a tribal member of Biloxi, Miss., made contact with his truth when he was in seventh grade.
Matthews claimed that when I told my parents that I had to tell them while hiding under my covers, I was really apprehensive. Thankfully, my family and close friends were very encouraging and made sure to let me know that they loved me unconditionally.
While Matthews knew the University of Mississippi’s history of discriminating against minorities, this did not stop him from pursuing a diploma in what he loves to do: acting.
Matthews is a junior majoring in theater arts, with an emphasis on acting for the stage and screen. Matthews believed that it was a prospect worth taking to pursue his dream when considering the possibility of encountering discrimination or harassment at the school.
“I had a home I could go to on campus that would help me,” according to Matthews, “and I was very appreciative of the Ole Miss theater department.”
Since he began performing drag, Matthews has found support in Oxford’s drag scene in addition to his theater community.
“Through drag, the people I’ve met have also changed my life and introduced me to a world I didn’t know existed,” Matthews said. “I intend to pursue it for the long-term and am very glad and humbled by my encounter with drag.”
Matthews claimed that he uses drag to leave his comfort zone and enter the spotlight.
“My drag is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and overcoming fears. That’s where my drag brand, Aetheria, comes from. It’s a variant of the Greek god Aether, lord of the horizon, space, and light,” Matthews said. “I wanted to pick a brand based on something that actually frightens me because ‘space scares the hell out of me.'”
Although anti-queer sentiments are also voiced across the country, Matthews’ encounter at UM has been mostly favorable.
“I can’t state that I’ve experienced any type of abuse that I wasn’t able to handle. I am fortunate enough to not have faced harassment,” Matthews said. “However, I think it’s important to realize that dislike against the LGBTQ+ group still exists.”
Additionally, Matthews emphasized the value of treating people with respect, regardless of their religious beliefs.
“We are all still people with souls, feelings, minds, intelligence, and gifts that deserve to be treated with respect and kindness, but I think the world should realize that you don’t necessarily have to agree with who people choose to love in that regard. That goes for all,” Matthews said.
Phillip “Pip” Gordon emerged in the late 1990s, a period marked by queer presence, despite the controversial elections that revolved around gay life. Gordon recalls the 1998 death of an openly gay Wyoming university undergraduate, Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in a hate crime that drew national interest.
“That was in October of 1998. Being homosexual was a terrible and dangerous idea at the time,” Gordon said. “You may often feel under threat, and you couldn’t sit boldly.”
Gordon, a Jackson, Tenn., native, began his graduate studies at UM in 2006 and earned a master’s degree in English. The Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies student is currently in his second quarter as a visiting lecturer. Shepard was killed the same year that Gordon came out to his family and friends. He was 16 years old.
“It was simply because I wanted to, and it was the right thing to say. When my family later learned that, I had understanding from friends,” Gordon said. “They initially didn’t like it, but there was never a sense of what it would cost me.”
Gordon stated that he comprehends the trouble of coming out.
“It’s often difficult to leave the bedroom because of what you say, which will affect how people perceive and interact with you,” Gordon said. “Sometimes that change is not bad, but it’s also a change.”
Gordon, a leading academic and athlete, describes his younger self as pretty strong-willed and not one who would allow people to tear him down.
“Being homosexual may have adverse effects, and as much as there was a lot of feeling in the world as a whole, I simply brushed it off and said, ‘I’m also going to be who I am,'” Gordon said. “I suppose it was different from what it is now as a child growing up at the time.”
One of the first things Gordon did at UM came to mind.
“When I was here, there was one class. I arrived on campus and one of the first things I did, in 2006, was look up the Gay Straight Alliance,” Gordon said.
The Gay Straight Alliance, a group of undergraduate and graduate students and instructor counselors, offers support to individuals who are LGBTQ.
Gordon recalled that many of his queer classmates were apprehensive about attending Ole Miss. But, Gordon felt welcomed by the Oxford and UM areas.
“I thought this was a much more accommodating environment, and I thought some kids were acting out too much,” Gordon said. “But then, even that’s only kind of a pleasure on my part.”
Gordon thinks that many gay people have experienced a “reemergence of anxiety” on the UM campus as a result of Jay Lee’s disappearance.
According to Gordon, “watching the news of Jay Lee’s removal and the reactions that came after his death actually brought up many of those old memories of why people may have felt uncomfortable on this campus.”
Even so, Gordon thinks that today’s individuals are more comfortable expressing themselves.
“Kids these days are more secure with LGBTQ+ names. I personally tell students that this is one of the earliest days they have had a chance to establish themselves away from home,” Gordon said. “They say that personality out loud, and they’re seeking areas.”
Jamie Harker, the chairman of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, and Jamie Harker, the professor of English, both agreed with this sentiment.
“Now, I think there’s a lot of popularity of various individuals. When the (Oxford) Pride Parade happens, about half the people who march are allies, and they don’t necessarily identify with the community,” Harker said. “I’m not convinced that had happened 20 years ago, whereas now, I think there’s a lot of feeling of, ‘We all need to keep up.’”
Harker believes that this shift in popularity is millennial.
No matter what other social differences they may own, most Gen Zers are able to be who they are and identify with a lot more in the community.
Gordon also emphasized the value of creating the same welcoming environment for gay individuals that he encountered.
“Coming back as an alum, my hope is that the majority of queer students who are learning to get their feet wet for the first time in the world where they can define themselves (and) get the support for that so that their next step in life, when they are graduating and going out in the professional world, don’t feel like they have to go back into that moment of anxiety,” Gordon said.
Now, UM has a number of tools and organizations that work to make the
LGBTQ community an accepting place for all students.
Resource fair and Pride Camp, a program for new and returning students at the beginning of the quarter where individuals share about venues, tools, events, and spaces available to gay students, are held at the UM Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement. Lavender Graduation and the Oxford Pride Parade are even handled by the CICCE and the Sarah Isom Center. Student organizations on campus include OUTGrads, an organization for gay graduate students; Prohibit, an organization for law students; LAMBDA, a student aid and discussion group on college, is a collaboration between UM Pride Network and LAMBDA.
Harker urged individuals to get involved and feel connected to others.
“No matter what you’re engaged in, there’s going to be a team or place for you. There’s just a lot of different entry points, (and) there’s going to be someone like you who’s interested. There are a lot of folks who will welcome you, become enthralled that you are here, and want to assist you in finding the support system,” Harker said. “So don’t become frightened, come on by and we’ll plug you into whichever party makes the most sense.”
