LGBT-musician

The Nine of Wands, the Three of Wands, and the Two of Swords stare up at me from their place upon my comforter. I am offended. When I began shuffling, I asked about the energy of this column, not for my tarot deck to come for my ass. I could practically see it shrug its shoulders as it hit two birds with one stone in its answer. If you study tarot, know that the first thing you learn is that the cards cut through the crap, whether you like it or not. They’re your friend who can be overly harsh sometimes, but only out of love and worry for your well-being. They’re your Virgo friend.

I was 17 the first time I tried to get tested for HIV. Barely out of the closet and utterly fear-stricken by the possibility of contracting the virus, I raced to a health clinic on New Year’s Eve. After I told the nurse my short sexual history—leaving out the parts that included having sex with men—she said that an HIV test wasn’t necessary and that I should take my paranoid self home. I was too embarrassed to argue with her, so I left.

This week, in light of the recent suicides caused by homophobic bullying, Opinion is discussing homophobia at Columbia and how it affects students of all sexual orientations. Sean Udell writes about subtler forms of homophobic violence. Minori Takahashi urges students both to learn and to educate others about LGBT concerns. Joy Harrison speaks about reconciling her Christian faith with her tolerance for homosexuality. And Avi Edelman emphasizes the importance of maintaining a safe space at Columbia.

I type "Jack and Eliza" into the YouTube search bar and click on the first result. At that moment, the lulling harmonies and calming guitar of the duo pipe into my headphones. It serves as a befitting soundtrack for writing a profile about one of the lead singers, Eliza Callahan. I'm drawn to the "White Satin" video in particular. Recognizable Morningside Heights landmarks appear throughout—the Barnard gates, Duane Reade, campus during winter, a light coat of snow dusting the landscape, and the trademark New York scaffolding. As of now, the video has over 26,000 views.

When I first met Columbia College first-year Elena Ariza in Butler Lounge, I was struck by how much she seemed to physically embody the Barnard-Columbia-Juilliard Exchange: On her typically Columbian Pantone 292 MacBook cover was this week's Intro to Computer Science problem set, and emblazoned on her shirt were those hallowed words: "Juilliard Music." Self-described as someone who is "not sure whether she wants to go into music or computer science," Ariza certainly came to the right place.

On Wednesday, a panel discussed LGBT activism at the Sochi Olympics. However, some students who attended felt that the panel had failed to cover "ways in which the Sochi Olympics could be used to expose LGBT abuses and to help people living in Russia."

Dear President Bollinger,