By Nethan Crew, Managing editor of production 

[NOTICE: All identities outside of Meagan Nelson, Spectrum President, were kept hidden for safety] 

Spectrum hosted a panel titled “Beyond Coming Out: Discussing Queer Adulthood and Lived Experiences with Guest Speakers.” The event was held in the Farmer Meeting Room at 5:30 on Jan 15.  

“In a time where there has been a lot of controversy and uncertainty over the LGBTQIA+ community, it is reassuring to hear stories from older community members who have gone through experiences like this before,” said Nelson. The panelist went into many different topics and asked many questions about being queer adults, especially in a historically red state.  

Many of the conversations held at the event were ultimately about hope, as well as the dichotomy of queer joy and fear.  

When talking about being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in Alabama, one panelist stated that they were “always on guard,” while the panelists made sure to explain that there can be “so many positive experiences through the queer existence.” 

Planning this event for Spectrum went fairly smoothly, with Nelson stating “I was incredibly touched with how enthusiastic the guest speakers were to work this event into their schedules.” The event eventually came down to “who we wanted to speak at the event.” 

As an observer, the speakers were extremely easy to connect with, which personally helped myself remember that through all darkness, there is joy. 

Another emphasis was on community, especially on how to find “your people” after college. Panelists stated that the way they found their communities was through major metropolitan areas as well as queer spaces.  

For more information and LGBTQIA+ resources, please visit Spectrum’s events as well as interacting with their Instagram @um.spectrum and Discord server.