Kit Yan, a queer and transgender poet, performs for Coming Out Month
Kit Yan, a queer and transgender slam poet, performed last night in the University Rotunda as part of Coming Out Month.
His poems largely blended sex and education.The performance was put together by Program Board.
“I came to the slam poetry event because there isn’t a lot of Asian American representation at CMU, so I thought this was super cool,” said Wyandotte sophomore Tiffany Nguyen.
Yan expressed his experience growing up queer and poor through his poetry.
“People often talk about finding their voice. I always hated the sound of my voice," Yan said. "The practice of spoken words gave me the confidence to perform and get comfortable in my own body."
When the audience enjoyed a line of poetry, their snaps would fill the room, along with an occasional hoot and holler.
“The best part of the event was how relatable he was to the minority groups," Nguyen said. "I felt that I could relate to all of his stories growing up poor, and the language gap between him and his parents."
The slam poetry event ended with Yan selling his merchandise, which included a book he wrote called, Queer Heartache.
“The writing is the most satisfying part of slam poetry," Yan said. "Telling my own story with the stories of the people in my communities is also satisfying."
