Mizeur talks LGBT rights at SU
Inside Salisbury University's Perdue Hall on Monday, former gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur did not sound like someone campaigning for another run at office.
In front of a group of students, faculty members and members of the public, Mizeur talked about her own experience with coming out as homosexual and what it meant to her growing up.
"Every single time that I felt awful about being gay it's because I was listening to some external voice outside of me telling me it was wrong," Mizeur said.
Her speech was in anticipation of the National Day of Silence on April 17, an annual event where students across the country take a form of silence to highlight the effects of bullying on the LGBT community.
The group also opened up to her about their issues with the topic as well, whether it was trying to handle anti-homosexual rhetoric on social media or the conflicts with wanting to be a practicing Christian while accepting homosexuals.
For Mizeur, she talked about the process for her, which she said went from a crush on her first-grade teacher to moments where she resented being gay because of her peers' animosity toward the culture.
"When I spent time in my own private place, the silence of my own private heart, thinking of what my conscious was telling me, it was OK," Mizeur said. "So I felt empowered to really recognize my truth."
Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton prefaced Mizeur's speech with statistic on bullying LGBT students from a 2014 study commissioned by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.
"Sixty-five percent of LGBTQ students heard homophobic remarks on a regular basis at their school," Ireton said, citing the study.
To further contextualize the point for those in attendance, he added, "I'm one of those people."
"Many times, the change we are looking for starts right here in academia," Ireton said.
Mizeur also branched out into other topics, including denying any rumors she could be still mulling over a possible run at retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski's, D-MD, seat in Washington D.C. after her announcement last week. She came in third in the Democratic primary, but had what many considered to be a strong showing for a first-time gubernatorial candidate, garnering nearly 22 percent of the vote.
"While I would enjoy the job, I didn't want to try out for it for the next two years," Mizeur said. "There was no way my soul or my marriage would've survived another attempt so soon."
Ultimately, the day was about her experience in finding comfort with her sexuality and how to have a voice with it.
She ended the speech by asking the audience not only to actively participate in the National Day of Silence, but also "don't just pocket the victories for our own communities" and continue to be active in campaigning for equal rights.
"This evolution is happening," Mizeur said. "It's just a question of how quickly and what role you want to play in a part of it."
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