By Lauren McMillan and Janai Valentine
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writers
Award-winning poet and LGBT activist Staceyann Chin came to Towson University Thursday night and encouraged students to be true to themselves regardless of the hardships they may face.
Speaking to about 50 people in the Chesapeake room at the school’s University Union, Chin shared details of the hardships she experienced growing up gay in Jamaica, telling the audience that she was abandoned by her mother as a newborn and was raped as a teenager.
“My mother left me when I was just born, so that should tell you I have abandonment issues,” the 42-year-old Chin said jokingly. “So you have to respond to me.”
Turning more serious, Chins said: “I was assaulted by 13 boys in a bathroom because it’s like illegal and crazy to be gay in Jamaica.”
Chin – who has won several awards, including her most recent honor of being named one of the 31 icons of 2015’s LGBT history month – said she moved to New York as an illegal immigrant after being sexually assaulted at college. She said New York inspired some of her early poetry because she felt the city was “sexy” and “young.”
She joked about controversial topics like racial stereotypes, sexuality and her own personal adversities.
“I actually do like watermelon and fried chicken,” she said. “When I see my white friends eating fried chicken I have to ask them, ‘Hey, are you enjoying that?’”
She also told students to be true to themselves.
“If you want to do it, do it,” Chin said. “Except, if your father is homophobic and he’s paying for school, just wait until after school.”
The night started with a poem recited by Towson junior Sey Elemo, who said she was inspired by Chin’s poetry.
One audience member who was interviewed after the speech said she did not feel sad after hearing about Chin’s past but instead felt inspired by how she’s overcome her experiences and found her voice.
“Anyone can make it, literally, no matter who you are,” said Korey Johnson, a Towson senior. “No matter where you come from, you can create your own future doing what you love to do. I think that’s hard to understand as a poet.”
“Sometimes it’s hard because my parents look and say you’re not going to get paid for that [poetry],” Johnson said. “Seeing that [Chin has been successful as a poet] and wanting to do that, she simplifies that for me.”
Chin spent much of the night reading excerpts from her memoir, The Other Side of Paradise. After sharing details of her molestation, she spoke about resilience and how she made it to the other side of her own situation.
“I survived that [molestation] already, but I also meet so many people who aren’t surviving those things,” Chin said. “Children are resilient and every time I meet a situation I am unable to survive I hearken back to the resilience of my childhood.”
The night ended with a question and answer session and selfies with Chin.
The event was sponsored by Center for Student Diversity and co-sponsored by The Women and Gender Studies Department and the Honors College.