The LGBT center is probably one of my favorite locations that we have visited. It is by far one of the most diverse. The feeling of being welcome at the center was a bit different than at the other locations we have been to. I sensed more skepticism than usual, this probably being because the center deals with very intimate and serious issues. From our experience at the LEG lunch, I came to discover that many of the community members were living with HIV or AIDS, a difficult challenge that is not unique to, but specifically more relevant and common in the LGBT community. With such serious issues facing many of the community members, the introduction of outside groups within the LGBT center can potentially cause discomfort. The LGBT center has been working for many years on building trust with the community and establishing a supportive presence within the Hillcrest region. Us, the Life Course Scholars program, are probably viewed as outsiders compared to the center itself and even though the center advocates for us to be there, trust must be established in order to create effective collaboration.
This sentiment came up with one of the residents. One of my fellow cohort members shared with me after the event that there was sentiment regarding the genuinity of our group in terms of our presence at the center. The community member expressed that while we were introducing ourselves, some of us seemed “fake,” without our hearts in the right place. It sparked some thoughts for me in terms of the ways that the LCS program goes about their activities.
Although we are in a school/classroom setting with the need for deadlines and a particular quota of activities, sometimes the activities feel a little unnatural at first. Unfortunately, due to limitations of school resources and time, there is simply not ample time for establishing natural connections with a particular community or center. However, possibly, instead of using the second half of the quarter to continue to explore different centers, the class could be remodeled to promote the development of a deeper relationship, and return to a center/community where the entire class feels the bigger connection to. That way, there is more trust established and less of a community service for recognition vibe and more of a community service for the fact that it’s the right thing to do vibe.
Granted, the community member who expressed this sentiment was fond of my cohort member as well as myself because she was able to speak personally with us and find out that our hearts are genuinely in the right place. This is why we need more overall intergenerational activities, to allow this interaction to occur and break myths of gaps between generations. Hopefully, the LCS program will be able to expand and devote more class time to the development of trust and relationships with a smaller group of people in order to make more meaningful connections in the future.
This sentiment came up with one of the residents. One of my fellow cohort members shared with me after the event that there was sentiment regarding the genuinity of our group in terms of our presence at the center. The community member expressed that while we were introducing ourselves, some of us seemed “fake,” without our hearts in the right place. It sparked some thoughts for me in terms of the ways that the LCS program goes about their activities.
Although we are in a school/classroom setting with the need for deadlines and a particular quota of activities, sometimes the activities feel a little unnatural at first. Unfortunately, due to limitations of school resources and time, there is simply not ample time for establishing natural connections with a particular community or center. However, possibly, instead of using the second half of the quarter to continue to explore different centers, the class could be remodeled to promote the development of a deeper relationship, and return to a center/community where the entire class feels the bigger connection to. That way, there is more trust established and less of a community service for recognition vibe and more of a community service for the fact that it’s the right thing to do vibe.
Granted, the community member who expressed this sentiment was fond of my cohort member as well as myself because she was able to speak personally with us and find out that our hearts are genuinely in the right place. This is why we need more overall intergenerational activities, to allow this interaction to occur and break myths of gaps between generations. Hopefully, the LCS program will be able to expand and devote more class time to the development of trust and relationships with a smaller group of people in order to make more meaningful connections in the future.