Really, who am I? Sure, I'm an eighteen-year-old boy... Or adult, I should say, but what difference does it make? You're probably thinking, "Oh man, does this boy--I mean adult--have self esteem issues or what?" Well, not really, otherwise I wouldn't be writing for the world to see, and thanks to a certain class, I am learning to express myself.
So let me start over.
I am Farhan Khan, an Indian Muslim from Alabama, and I am currently a freshman at Duke University. At Duke, freshmen must take a writing course, and I am in Queer Writing Practices... Which is why I am here! A part of this class is keeping a blog where we, the students, can express ourselves and comment on others' opinions.
But I don't really see it as a requirement; I more or less see it as a privilege because nowhere else am I going to be able to have brilliant people criticize my work every week (no sarcasm intended)... And also because this is an excuse to write about controversial topics that my parents wouldn't otherwise condone.
Now, some of you may be saying to yourselves, "WHAT!?! QUEER??? He must be queer himself!" One, no, I am not queer, and two, it's just something that deserves attention. If I don't learn about others, how am I supposed to learn about myself? For me, this is a new experience, and I intend to enjoy every bit of it.
--
Farhan Khan
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Your last point really rings true. How can we learn about ourselves without insight from others? We learn about ourselves through finding both similarities and differences with those around us. You specifically state one of those differences being that you are not queer yourself but you may find yourself encountering similarities to those who are themselves queer, really allowing for some insight. It should be very interesting throughout your exploration to see what you learn about yourself.
I totally agree that it's a great privilege to examine such an outstandingly controversial topic with such a group of fascinating classmates. An interest in queer subjects and especially support never should be a direct indicator for any personal preferences. Just as the supports for racial equality weren't all black in the 60's or how supporters for gender equality weren't all women, the supporters of this current movement should be able to come from any kind of background, for support for equality comes from an understanding of how people should be judged as humans, regardless of the technicalities of any religion or traditions. This class is definitely a unique experience, and I hope we can enjoy every bit of it.
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