NSU’s Gay-Straight Alliance is celebrating National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11, by extending it to Coming Out Week.
Chad Emrick, president of the Gay-Straight Alliance, said that it is essential to bring national awareness to the struggles of the LGBT community.
“It’s important for people to see that the support is out there, because so many teenagers and even adults are struggling with coming out and finding the support they need,” said Emrick. “As an LGBT community, we face a lot of adversity, so we need to show people that encouragement.”
For 25 years, National Coming Out Day has supported the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. It was founded by Robert Eichberg, a psychologist, and Jean O’Leary, a politician, to celebrate anyone who publicly identifies as bisexual, gay, lesbian or transgender.
For some students, the importance of National Coming Out Day hits home.
“It’s a difficult situation to be in,” said Lucas Alverez, freshman communication studies major and GSA member. “It’s important to be able to recognize and identify yourself as a person.”
GSA has celebrated National Coming Out Day in past years by holding small demonstrations on campus. However, this is the first year that the organization has worked with the Office of Student Activities to hold a full-fledged celebration for the week leading up to the day. All students are welcome to take part in the celebrations.
Senior education major and Vice President of Traditions at the Students Events and Activities Board Lindsey Goldstein said she hopes the events will bring awareness to the fact that everyone is different.
“Coming to a college campus, you never know who you’ll meet and we all have our own challenges,” Goldstein said. “So being aware can really help bring the NSU community together.”
The celebration started with a special SEA Thursday on Oct. 3 at noon. The theme of the event was “Awareness.” Students had the opportunity to have the NOH8 Campaign logo painted on their cheeks, like the national NOH8 Campaign that features many celebrities proudly sporting the painted design to support marriage, gender and human equality.
The next event was “SafeZone: Are you an ALLY?” which took place in the Alvin Sherman Library on Oct. 7. Attendees went through training to learn how to speak up when people make negative comments about others.
On Oct. 8, GSA will host “The Psychosocial Damage of Bullying in the LGBTQ Community” from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the second floor lounge of the Don Taft University Center. Bullying and civility expert Robyn King, author of “Eating Lunch in the Bathroom: The Psychology Damage of Bullying,” will speak about the social struggles of the LGBT community and the negative effects of bullying.
GSA will screen the film “Milk,” a 2008 Academy-award winning film about politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk, on Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. in the Commons Residence Hall Quad. Milk and cookies will be served. If it rains, the event will be relocated to the Don Taft University Center Pit.
On Oct. 10, GSA will host the “Out & Proud Panel Discussion” for students and staff to provide their perspectives on the LGBT community. The discussion will be held in the second floor lounge of the Don Taft University Center from noon to 1 p.m. Emrick will be a panelist, along with Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement Aaron Hackman, Assistant Director for Residential Life Daren Capirchio and Event Chair Mirtha Torres.
Former GSA Vice President Adriana Boliber will facilitate.
The week’s festivities will conclude on Oct. 11 with GSA’s National Coming Out Day event, featuring free food, music and activities from noon to 2 p.m. on the Alvin Sherman Library Quad.
Attendees can participate in Messy Twister, featuring a game mat covered in wet paint, and Guess Who’s Gay, in which a group of straight and gay students will answer personality questions from the audience, who will guess who identifies as gay and who identifies as straight. Goldstein said that the goal of Guess Who’s Gay is to break stereotypes of what characteristics are considered “gay.”
Emrick said the game is meant to alleviate stereotypes.
“A lot of people seem to think they have a good idea of what a gay person is like and can tell when someone is gay, when, in reality, it’s all just a bunch of stereotypes.”
The event will also feature “Paint Your Orgasm,” named simply to peak students’ curiosity. Participants will be given body paint to decorate their bodies and express themselves in any way they’d like.
All National Coming Out Week events are free and registration is not required. For more information, call Goldstein at 954-262-7223.
