While completing my Bachelor of Social Work at the University of British Columbia, I took a communications class that required us to record a role-play interview with another student. The exercise was meant to simulate a social work scenario, but something unexpected happened during the recording. I became emotionally triggered, and on camera, I said that I was feeling depressed, anxious, and somewhat suicidal.
At the time, I was quietly struggling to understand and accept my sexuality. I was carrying internalized homophobia, and also some internalized racism, while trying to figure out where I fit as a gay man within my Punjabi Sikh community. I did not yet have the language, confidence, or sense of safety to openly share what I was going through.
After the recording, my professor, whose name I believe was Katherine, called me into a meeting. I remember feeling afraid that I had failed the assignment, or perhaps even the class. Instead, she reassured me with kindness and clarity. She told me that I had not failed. In fact, she gave me top marks for the interview.
I also remember noticing a large rainbow sticker behind her. That small symbol meant more to me than I could fully express at the time. She listened with care, asked thoughtful clinical questions, and created a space that felt calm, professional, and safe. Even then, I still could not bring myself to disclose my sexuality. I had learned to fear that people in positions of power or influence might use such information against me. Up to that point, I had experienced alienation, isolation, exclusion, and discrimination in different ways, including within my own community.
But that meeting changed something in me.
I left feeling seen, respected, and protected, even without having said everything out loud. That night, I felt a renewed sense of self. I felt safer as a student at the UBC School of Social Work. Most importantly, I felt a quiet reminder that healing can begin when even one person in a position of care responds with compassion instead of judgment.
Looking back, I remain deeply grateful for that professor and that moment. Her kindness did not erase the struggle, but it gave me strength. It reminded me that acceptance, even when offered gently and indirectly, can help a closeted person feel less alone. Sometimes, a rainbow sticker, a compassionate conversation, and the reassurance that you still belong can become part of someone’s awakening.
Amar Sangha is the founder of Sher Pride which is a registered charity in Metro Vancouver supporting queer South Asians and their friends, families, and allies for nearly two decades. Amar resides in Delta, B.C.
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