We at Her Campus Aberdeen think it’s high time to pay tribute to the Aberdeen LBGT+ community. What better way for a collegiette to pay tribute than an “all about you” article?
Meet Tommi Arbiv!
Tommi is a 21-year-old Swedish born student currently studying Anthropology at our beloved University of Aberdeen. Tommi is gay and he stepped out of the closet in the summer of 2015. To get more details on his leap to freedom we sat for hours talking about… well… him! What was supposed to be an interview felt more like two friends catching up, he was so open and friendly. So you can feel involved as well, here are a few things we discussed:
HC: What eventually led you to come out of the closet?
TA: Last summer I travelled to Japan which was life changing. I just felt so much support from the people around me; basically it felt like the world was on my side. I knew it was about time I was honest with myself and with the people around me.
HC: When did you know you were “different”?
TA: I guess I always knew…
HC: When you were still “in the closet”, how did you handle it?
TA: *long silence*
Basically, there was a lot of denial. I tried to overcome my emotions by lying to myself and putting up a façade. I would pretend to be interested in girls even though I wasn’t, I would do anything to keep people from thinking I was gay.
HC: When you decided to tell everyone you were gay, what were the responses?
TA: Most of my friends laughed and told me that they already knew. Guess I’m not that good at hiding my true identity! My family was very supportive. My mother just said that she was happy that I didn’t feel like I had to hide my true self any more. I think I am very lucky to have such support in my life ‘cause other people aren’t as lucky.
HC: What response were you expecting?
TA: I had my defences up. I was honestly expecting the worst. I didn’t expect such positive responses.
HC: I know the LGBT+ community normally complain about the lack of options they have in the dating scene, how do you find Aberdeen’s dating scene?
TA: I hate it! I come from a big city and I’m used to a more vibrant gay scene. But here, the only place we have is Cheerz Nightclub, and it’s nothing to write home about. I also find that there is a lack of diversity… in other words I struggle to find guys I’m attracted to.
HC: What do you think of Grindr?
TA: It fulfils its purpose ;-)
HC: Have you ever faced discrimination?
TA: I think every LGBT+ person can attest to being discriminated against because it’s always there. If it’s not the stares, then it’s verbal abuse.
HC: Any advice for those who are still trying to find themselves?
TA: It’s always better to be true to yourself, especially if you want to be happy in life.
Well there you have it everyone: Tommi Arbiv! Thanks for chatting with us!
HCXO <3