Student Blog #5

by Guest Writer Rachael 

The nuclear family is engraved in our brains at a young age. A stay at home mom, a working dad, and a couple children crafted from angel dust is what was (and for some reason still is) seen as the perfect ideal family. I knew at a young age this was bullshit. Despite the way my parents and grandparents saw the LGBTQ community, I was very open my entire life. I just wanted everyone to be happy and wanted them to have the life they desire. When I started to voice my difference of opinion the response I would get from my mother would be “Rachael, you’re a liberal aren’t you?” as if it was something wrong to be, an insult spit in my face to change the way I thought. I would deny it, thinking it was something I shouldn’t be, and I would claim I just wanted everyone to be equal. It wasn’t until I was older that I told my mom “Yes, I am a liberal and fucking proud of it.” 

I consider myself an ally and when I heard of the auditions for Cleaning Closets I thought it was a project I would love to be a part of, and not only help in the storytelling aspect but grow in my knowledge and respect for the LGBTQ community. Like many of the other people in the cast, I was very confused at first with how the process would go. I expected to walk in the first day and begin compiling our stories and see what our show is going to be. But it is so much more than that. Cleaning Closetsis a classroom, a safe haven, a creative space. I may have started this process skeptical and confused, but now I see the potential in what we have. We have great people and we are learning together every step of the way. I am eager to see the art we make together. Theatre reflects nature, and this production will reflect the problems we face, our unique stories, and the nature of LGBTQ community and the adversity they still face today.