Last Monday June 5, members of De Anza’s gay community held a panel discussion titled “Everything you wanted to know about being lesbian or gay.”

The room was decorated festively. Teletubby Tinky Winky was shadowed by colorful balloons and a large club banner for De Anza’s Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Association.

The panel was as diverse as the colors of the rainbow. Panelists included Alan Foresberg, part-time faculty member, Marcy Betlach, full-time instructor, Paige Boger, gay-rights activist and part-time student, Derek Koh, international student and LGBA ICC Representative, Monika Statkiewicz, student and secretary of LGBA, and Chris Pommier; student and La Voz Editor-in-chief of La Voz.

Koh discussed being from a different culture in Malaysia and how he has gotten support from other gay people in America.

“It’s really, really difficult to find someone,” said Statkiewicz. Many gay people find it difficult to meet others because it can be very hard to tell who is gay and who is not. “Castro is a very small place,” she said.

Statkiewicz, who is from Poland, talked about how different her situation was. She said that she was homophobic for quite some time before she accepted her own sexuality when she came out after high school in America.

Panelist Pommier discussed visibility and coming out in the general community. He spoke about how members of the gay community have to decide when to come out and tell people that they are gay.

“It’s a constant process,” Pommier said People think you only have to do it once, but … it’s a process you have to continue doing over and over again.”

He also stated that other groups face the same discriminations and oppressions, but that the gay community faces a lot of hatred. “The fear and ignorance … comes from the unknown,” said Pommier.