2010s & Onwards

Rodriguez discusses attending Princeton as a gay student. He speaks about coming out to his parents before college, his identity as an undocumented student, attending Tiger Night, and his involvement with the Freshman LGBT group. He also discusses participating in Terrace Drag Balls, the all Ivy Drag Competition, social divisions between center and non-center gays, and his relationships with other LGBT undergraduates. Finally, he reflects on working for Teach for America and his marriage.

Borges discusses her internal, childhood struggles with her sexuality and her admittance into Princeton. She elaborates on the process of coming out over her time at Princeton and her experiences dating out and closeted peers. She describes her work as an intern with the LGBT Center, working with administrators on the Alcohol Coalition Committee, and joining sororities her sophomore year. In addition, she reflects on her consulting career and how she's built a community through long-term mentorship and friendships.

Song speaks about questioning her identity and coming out as a lesbian after her time at Princeton. She discusses growing up in Korea and the US, questioning her sexuality at a young age, and her participation in the social culture of classical music. In addition, she speaks about choosing to attend Princeton over a conservatory, joining the Princeton University Orchestra, and practicing Christianity on campus. Finally, she speaks about attending the Yale School of Music, attending law school during the Obergefell decision, and meeting other LGBT alumni.

Aguayo elaborates on his childhood Hispanic community and his experience coming out to his friends and family during high school. He speaks about exploring his gay identity at Princeton through his social network and an IvyQ conference. Aguayo also explains his work with the LGBT Center as an administrative assistant and later as a peer educator. Finally, he elaborates on his post-graduate studies in comparative literature and the process of explaining his identity to his Mexican parents.

Strier discusses her time at Princeton as a questioning student. She speaks about transferring into Princeton's engineering program after her freshman year, joining the Princeton Ballet Company, interning with a professor, and studying abroad in South Africa. She speaks about coming out privately while in South Africa, her decision to remain closeted at Princeton, and finding community through the 2D co-op. Finally, she reflects on her year-long fellowship in Egypt, her master's in Sweden, and coming out after moving to San Francisco for work.

Clarel discusses their childhood education at a Quaker institution, exploring their gender at a younger age, joining theater productions, and their relationship with their younger brother. They speak about entering Princeton early through the Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) summer program, struggling to find a place within Triangle Club and Theatre Intime, leading the Black Arts Collective (BAC), studying abroad, and their time as a peer educator for the GSRC. Further, they detail attending a Princeton Caribbean Connection party at the Carl A. Fields Center and their frustrations as a student worker for the center. Finally, they reflect on their time on campus after their senior year and their experiences in the UT Austin MFA program.

Li speaks about time spent at Princeton as an Asian-American, queer student. Li discusses feeling isolated from the university's queer and Asian-American communities, working as a peer educator for the LGBT Center, influential professors, and institutional criticisms of Princeton. In addition, Li speaks about the effects of coming out to parents, studying abroad in Italy, and friendships with queer graduate students. Finally, Li talks about intersectional self, personal relationship to dance, and career after Princeton.

Diaz speaks about coming out to her family and her time as a female, queer student at Princeton. She reflects on her upbringing within a Catholic, Mexican-American family and how she came to attend Princeton. She discusses coming out and dating at the University, her involvement with the Women's Center and the LGBT Center, and her experiences with Terrace Eating Club. Finally, she speaks about her work as an admissions officer and how her senior thesis influenced her graduate school studies.

Perez speaks about his gay identity and his time at Princeton as a member of the university's post-doctoral Society of Fellows. He discusses his undergraduate experience at Notre Dame, studying abroad in Peru, his graduate studies, and his participation in the Gay Volleyball Association. He also talks about his field research, why he came to Princeton as a fellow, his impressions of Princeton's LGBT Center, and how he developed and taught queer studies courses at Princeton.

Lederman discusses his time as a student in Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs as well as his later work in law and public policy. When discussing his time at Princeton, he describes his social connections through Terrace and the extracurricular activism groups he was a part of, as well as the places on campus where he felt welcome. Lederman also talks about his high school experiences with internalized homophobia and mental health struggles.

Giwa-Ojuri speaks about her experience as a female, queer student at Princeton. She discusses taking the Bridge Year Program in Serbia prior to her first year, playing for the rugby team, and her time as a member of Terrace eating club. She also talks about forming the LGBT social advocacy group, The Princeton Equality Project, and how she formed queer relationships and friendships on campus. Finally, she reflects on coming out to her family and the relationship between her faith and her queer identity.

Cofino talks about his time as a program coordinator with the Princeton LGBT Center and how he came to terms with his gender identity during his time at Princeton. He speaks about his hiring process at Princeton, working with different administrators, developing the Woke 101 program and Difference and Dialogue and Action orientation programming, and bringing Laverne Cox to campus. In addition, he reflects on his work after Princeton at UCLA and familial support he's received as he transitioned.

Jackson discusses his time at Princeton as a closeted, and later, out gay student. He speaks about how he attended Princeton through the Questbridge program, his successful campaigns and terms as USG president, studying abroad in Spain and Honduras, and his involvement with the DiSiac dance group. He also reflects on coming to terms with his sexuality, coming out during his junior year, creating the Princeton Perspective Project, and his current graduate studies in education.

Brandon Sixto describes growing up in a mixed-immigration status Mexican American family, eventually finding community amongst other low income students of color at Princeton. He also discusses the sexual abuse and violence prevalent on Princeton’s campus, describing his mental health struggles after being sexually assaulted. Through his work with the LGBT center as a peer educator, his work in environmental studies, and his personal experiences, Sixto developed a passion for diversity, equity, and environmental justice. He continues this work today as an activist, social organizer, and mentor.

Herrera discusses his life as a gay academic with a background in theater. He speaks about how he developed his sexuality and gender identity throughout his childhood in New Mexico and Saudi Arabia. He also discusses his time as a student at Brown University, his participation in the National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights, and how he made strides to raise awareness surrounding LGBT identities. He reflects on his career in theater, his graduate studies at the University of New Mexico and Yale, and his observations on the importance of Princeton's student activist groups as a faculty member.

Dolan speaks about childhood experiences with her sexuality and how she explored her lesbian identity while at Boston University. In addition, she discusses her lifestyle as a writer and lesbian feminist during the Sex Wars and the AIDS crisis. She also talks about attending NYU's theater graduate program and her work as an assistant professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She speaks on her relationship with her wife, how they were hired as a pair at Princeton, and her experiences with administration and students as the Dean of the College.

Dembroff describes how they developed their sexuality in a conservative atmosphere in Visalia, California and while attending the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. They speak about attending Notre Dame and transferring to Princeton as a graduate student. In addition, they discuss their experiences within the Princeton philosophy department and community as a genderqueer individual. Finally, they reflect on their current position at Yale University and personal struggles they endured as they came to terms with their sexuality.

Ronan O'Brien discusses his time as an undergraduate student at Princeton University, where he studied a multitude of languages, translation, and linguistics. He describes attending IvyQ and Creating Change conferences, as well as the work he put in to organizing the IvyQ conference when Princeton hosted. Finally O'Brien discusses the work he put into becoming a therapist and how his journey impacted the work he does now.

Dean Thames discusses how growing up as a Black woman in Mississippi shaped her understandings of religion, race, sexuality, and gender. She connects that history to her work as a religious leader within the church, focusing on how she centers marginalized bodies and communities within spiritual spaces. Thames narrates how her continual decision to choose love led her to identifying as queer despite the career risks. Other topics include body inclusivity, living life as an activist, and her work to support students at Princeton.

Smith discusses growing up in New Zealand and realizing she was a lesbian. She discusses her initial involvement with Princeton’s rowing team before she left and became more involved with the LGBT Center and Theater Intime. She describes the social geography of the queer scene on campus, including her own relationships and her experience of abuse in a same-sex relationship. Smith recounts different experiences with free speech, protest, and social advocacy spaces during her time on campus. She also discusses her experiences as an English major and a student during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, Smith discusses her work on various oral history projects, including concerns regarding cultural sensitivity for indigenous oral histories.