Matthew's Place

Individual (Community)

Samantha Logan

Hi! If you have navigated to this page I assume you want to know a little bit about the person talking to you from a webcam in Colorado. My name is Samantha Logan; I’m a Capricorn with light brown hair, a pale complexion, deep red glasses, and hazel eyes to peer through them with. My interests are talking to people, enjoying a cool night at a café patio with friends, and experiencing as many new things as possible. I am a duel major going for a degree in the arts and communications. I hope to become an advocate for not just LGBT rights, but for any non-profit, minority group, or community seeking a way to make their valuable ideas heard. I am driven to help people speak out, facilitate open minded learning, and get active in their communities. What drove me to do this were the experiences I have had through everyday life, and a transition from male to female.

When I was a little kid my father raised me proudly as his son in Cheyenne Wyoming. I never really thought about gender or sexuality as a child, but once I hit puberty I was overwhelmed by myself and felt so wrong with developments that were happening; I felt tortured and had no idea why. And once I figured it out around 10th grade, I worried. I worried because in Cheyenne Wyoming, transition seemed like a dangerous thing to do. I grew up with the Matthew Shepard case on the local news. I felt alone and unconsidered. I was scared I could never transition and it killed me to think I couldn’t.

After my graduation from senior year though, I took the plunge. It took a lot of preparation, research, and nerves, but after coming out to my friends and family they smiled warmly. They made some comment about how they always knew, and supported me whole heartedly. The town of Cheyenne seemed much less scary and the support seemed much more solid. I was picked up by other transsexual people in the area and once I made myself known, the community helped me grow.

After hearing the stories of many other transsexual people who lacked the support I had, I realized just how important and helpful an active community can be. When I started my own video blog on YouTube I was flooded with messages from people who had not come out, but were seeking help. And they felt emboldened when I responded. I helped them and inspired them to be who they wanted to be.

I want to bring that to the LGBT community at large, including those who feel left behind and unconsidered. In this blog I want to show you, the viewer, how I have grown in my personal transition, and how I have contributed that to the community. I want to illustrate the influence that even a long-distance online community such as Matthew’s Place can have.

I want to inspire in you, courage to speak your mind, motivation to reach out, and a desire, to peacefully spread community.