I began openly expressing my sexuality my freshman year at Sonoma State. However, I had little understanding of queer theory or queer politics. These topics have come up in numerous classes throughout college, and I can now confidently say that my beliefs are queer inclusive. I owe a huge thank you to Judith Butler for the ways in which my politics have formed. I read Gender Trouble for a research assignment in LIBS 201, and my eyes were opened to the concept of gender performativity. Since reading Butler, I've opened my mind and am now able to recognize how the gender binary affects everyone (especially marginalized people) at an institutional level. In education, this may look like young girls being discouraged from excelling in math and sciences. In both EDMS 419 and LIBS 330, we discussed how teachers' preconceived gender biases have a direct and lasting impact on students' academic performance. The medical industry is another oppressive force that operates through the gender binary. In both WGS 202 and LIBS 320B, I learned how queer folks are disproportionately rejected from recieving healthcare benefits, as well as targeted for their reproductive choices.