Addie Tyler, C’18, was a Religious Studies major at the University and is currently a graduate student at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, with hopes of one day becoming an Episcopal priest. At Sewanee, she was involved in her sorority, Kappa Omega, and also served as a Bonner, Sacristan, and co-leader of Catechumenate. Her favorite activities on campus were working as a Bonner and as a Sacristan as they engaged her passions.
Despite not being directly involved with the GSD Alliance, Addie’s engagement with the LGBTQ+ community on campus prompted her to more deeply consider her future plans; “Being part of the of the LGBTQ+ community at Sewanee has encouraged me to think about how my hopeful career as a priest can impact the queer community, especially young adults. Community, visibility, and access for all people is critical, so as I work through my formation, I am spending lots of time considering how this [LGBTQ+ inclusion] may be a part of my ministry,” she said.
Tyler notes that her experience as a member of Sewanee’s queer community was quite positive, “I was lucky to have a great group of friends, many of whom are queer, so I always felt comfortable with my identity and knew I had people that could understand the particularities of my experience,” she said. Tyler says that there has been a lot of improvement since arriving at Sewanee, “Over time I saw more events by and for the LGBTQ+ community, which in turn made for a more welcoming involvement and greater presence on campus.”
Tyler’s best advice to the freshman is to take every opportunity to become involved: “Find ways to get connected with the LGBTQ+ community. There are lots of ways to plug in, use them! Your Sewanee experience can be made so much better by being around people who encourage and uplift every part of who you are!”
