Blake Talwar

What motivated you to do a Ted Talk?

I think the biggest thing that motivated me to participate in TEDxLFHS was seeing previous events. I was in the audience for TEDxLFHS 2019 and I had this sudden urge to stand on that stage and talk about something I was passionate about. When I heard that they were taking applications for this year’s event, I immediately brainstormed a wide array of ideas and eventually came up with the topic I chose.

Why did you choose your specific topic?

For me, the concept of coming out was always this sort of mystery. I never fully grasped why people in the LGBTQ+ community had to come out but those who identified as straight didn’t. When I realized that I was queer however, I finally decided to dive into my question and learned so much as to why coming out has become a central thing for the community. Plus, I think that we all understand that what coming out is, but we never choose to question why some people have to do it in the first place. Hopefully, in my talk, people can understand the reasons as to why coming out has almost become necessary for people in the community.

What’s one thing you want people to know/appreciate about your subject?

If people are to take away one thing from my talk, I want them to understand the struggles and obstacles the community has faced in our society. Only a few decades ago, the idea of being anything but straight was unheard of and people in the community faced an innumerable amount of obstacles. If you contrast this with today’s society, life for people like me is much easier than it was in the past. More and more states are passing laws that prohibit LGBTQ+ discrimination and the community continues to receive rights that we never had access to before. Nonetheless, there are still a multitude of obstacles in front of the community and we are far from achieving a just society. However, I hope that people realize this and continue to push for equality in our society and foster an environment based on love, not hate.

What makes a strong TED Talk?

To make a strong TED Talk, you have to have a passion for what you’re speaking about. If you don’t truly believe in what you’re talking about, then no one else will. What you talk about is completely irrelevant. If people can see that you’re excited to be on stage and talk, then that makes all the difference in elevated a talk from decent to amazing.

When did you first realize you were into your subject?

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have always been involved with the subject I’ll be discussing. For me, this is something that I’m very passionate about and I’m hopeful that others will also become just as passionate as I am.

Who are some of the people who inspire you in your field?

My biggest inspiration has to be Harvey Milk. He was a California politician and was the first openly gay elected official in California and was very active in promoting LGBTQ+ rights. Sadly, he was killed at the age of 48 but he continues to serve as an inspiration to me. Even though he lived in a society that didn’t accept who he was, he still chose to be true to himself and embrace his sexuality.

How did you prepare for your talk?

During the weeks leading up to TEDx, I had these 30-minute brainstorming sessions almost every day. I locked myself in my room, turned on my voice memo, and started talking. I didn’t necessarily run through my script, but I went off the book and talked about my topic to myself. Afterward, I listened to it again and picked out what I liked and integrated it into my script. It seems time-consuming, but for me, it’s the only way I can truly brainstorm.

How nervous are you to speak in front of so many people?

The amount of nervousness I have can’t be measured. I love public speaking but I still get extremely anxious before something like this. At the same time though, I’m still really excited to have the opportunity to speak in front of so many people. It’s a double-edged sword.