April 26, 2022

My name is Rachel Hirschkind and I’m a 21-year-old lesbian who competes collegiately for the State University of New York College at Geneseo, who is currently obtaining a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. I come from a small town about an hour north of New York City. I knew I was queer all the way back in middle school. At first, I considered myself bisexual and was most comfortable with that label. I probably wouldn’t have been able to explore this part of myself without the help and support from my friend group.

For years I wondered with this label and questioned multiple times if I was truly bisexual. Consistently I would psych myself out and drill the idea into my head that my attraction to both men and women were the same. I thought that maybe I just haven’t met the right kind of guy in my life, and the idea of fully committing to the label of lesbianism was sort of terrifying. I made this change with my life by chopping off my hair in high school to a short pixie cut so I could feel more embodied by my queerness and fully accepting myself as gay.

Organizations like Safe Space NOVA that can provide support, education, and many different stories and backgrounds I believe is important because, besides my friend group, I think this journey for the discovery for my sexuality would’ve occurred very differently without them. Without a safe space for LGBT+ youth, people around them would just constantly tell them that they’re going through a phase and that they just haven’t met the right person yet. In the beginning of my journey, I struggled a lot with accepting and loving myself since I felt so much like an outsider. I was already dealing with undiagnosed depression and anxiety at the time before I got treatment later in high school. It felt like no one else could understand what I was experiencing or going through.

Through organizations like Safe Space NOVA, I also want to strive to be a support unit and safety net for LGBT+ youth so no one has to experience loneliness or feel like an outsider in society. Such organizations can provide the love, support, and education for those who are trying to discover themselves whether it’s their sexuality or gender identity.  I have been fortunate enough to share my story with OutSports.com, where I was able to talk about my queerness and how important my expression is to fellow athletes and my sport in general. LGBT+ athletes I believe are even less represented within their field of expertise so being a possible role model for someone that younger LGBT+ youth could look up to and learn to not be afraid of their identities and to feel comfortable with themselves on their sports teams is important to me.

We need organizations such as Safe Space NOVA to not only be a safety network for LGBT+ youth but the educate others that we very much exist and are more prominent in society than one may think. Without being out or having visibility short hair I could easily pass for not being a part of the LGBT+ community, and without a doubt, there are many people that are out there still closeted or scared due to the environment they’re in or the people they are around. Groups and organizations need to be aware that many LGBT+ folks join groups or affiliations to feel a sense of welcomeness and support where they can truly be themselves and safe. I want people of the LGBT+ community to find their voices and be proud of their identities, and know that there are many people here to support and stand with them along the way.