A sense of belonging

 - by Robin Dorner
   Editor in Chief

I love our youth. I love their authenticity, knowledge, and confidence, and I also love hanging out with them.

And at my age, 62, I consider anyone under 40 as “youth!”

So, when a member of our youth reaches out to me, I am always excited to talk to them, help out, or explore how we can collaborate.

Last month, while working feverishly on my deadline, a young person reached out to me via email with the following note. As you read it, you will surely understand why it brought me to tears.

It read, “Good afternoon,

“My name is Adèle Marie-Alix (they/she). I am a genderfluid lesbian, a senior Musical Theater major at Oklahoma City University, and a staff writer for the campus paper. My greatest passion is uplifting the queer community and using my artistic voice to advocate for those who most need to be heard.

“I would be honored to contribute an article to “The Gayly.” Since my first year of college, your paper has been a lifeline for me. Coming from a small town, I had never seen anything like it. Discovering “The Gayly” as a closeted freshman broadened my horizons and gave me a sense of belonging I had never known before. I even kept my first copy on my nightstand for three years until it was finally lost in a move.

“It would mean so much to now give back to the publication that helped shape my journey. If you are open to it, I would love the chance to get involved. Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration.”

The Gayly gave them “a sense of belonging,” and the instant I read the note, I began to cry. All the hard work, all the late-night hours spent on deadline and whatever and all it takes to keep things rolling with The Gayly. It is clear we make a difference. That matters. We do the work, and we don’t always get to know how it impacts lives.

It was a day or two before I was able to reply to Adèle’s email. Once I finished that issue, I wrote them and thanked them for the beautiful note. You see, when I meet people, I often get this kind of feedback. It’s just not that often that someone takes the time to articulate their feelings and appreciation in an email.

Somewhere in our early conversations, Adèle shared with me that she had been working with a local transgender public figure who had recently been harassed, doxed and fired for a social media post. It was news we needed to cover, and Adèle had penned an article about it for the Oklahoma City University Campus paper and was able to rewrite it for The Gayly. It was our cover story for the November issue.

When I shared with Adèle that their story would be our lead story for our trans awareness issue, I also told them it would be placed in the center of the paper – a prime position in any print publication. Their comment was inspirational, “Freshman year me would NOT believe this!”

Beginning with this issue, Adèle will pen a monthly column (see page 3) covering lesbian issues. They will also help build The Gayly’s social media presence.

I am honored to be at the helm of The Gayly. Knowing we make a difference is priceless.

The Gayly online. 12/13/25 @ 2:53 p.m.