NSU’s Pride Alliance, formally known as Gay Straight Alliance, will host Coming Out Week events around campus from Oct. 2 to Oct. 9 to promote awareness of LGBT issues and support for students who are members of the LGBT community.
Every day throughout the week from noon to 1 p.m., Pride Alliance will table in the Don Taft University Center to promote the NOH8 Campaign, a national organization which, according to its website, hopes to “promote marriage, gender and human equality.”
Lekha Mutyala, sophomore biology major and public relations chair of Pride Alliance said, “The goal of the NOH8 Campaign is to basically promote the fact that there should be no hate and that we should respect each other.”
Throughout the NOH8 Campaign tabling, members of Pride Alliance will distribute shirts to members of the NSU community and take pictures of participants in front of a backdrop.
Mutyala said the purpose of these photos is to spread awareness and get the name of PA out there to the NSU community. Pride Alliance will upload the pictures on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.
In addition to NOH8 Campaign Tabling, there will be several other Coming Out Week events throughout the week, including a drag show, a workshop about safe zones, an LGBT history trivia game and public forums with members of the LGBT community.
Mutyala said, “Events are a nice way to attract people, and it’s a fun-filled start for the year to get people to know about PA.”
While Mutyala believes that the messages associated with Coming Out Week have always been significant, she said this year’s Coming Out Week is important because of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to legalize gay marriage nationally.
“It’s been a tradition for the GSA to do this over the past few years, so it’s definitely something we would like to continue,” Mutyala said. “This year is especially important because legalized gay marriage is a huge milestone. Celebrating this will definitely add to the national recognition of it.”
Mutyala said that Coming Out Week events are open to everyone in the NSU community.
“Anyone can go,” said Mutyala, “It is aimed for anyone within the community who would like to be more aware of LGBT issues in general.”
Mutyala added that the various events of Coming Out Week also aim to make members of the LGBT community feel more comfortable and welcome on campus and remind them of the support available with Pride Alliance.
“We’re just trying to reach out to people who are trying to feel comfortable in a new environment,” Mutyala said. “For example, some of the freshman who have joined PA this year didn’t know how to adapt to college because it’s bigger and different environment, so our PA is trying to figure out a comfort level for them to feel supported by this group and know that they have someone reliable to communicate with about issues that might be ongoing in their lives.”
Mutyala believes NSU is effective and nondiscriminatory towards the LGBT community, but NSU’s LGBT students still face discrimination in their private lives.
“Some of these members have to keep it a secret that they’re a part of Pride Alliance,” said Mutyala. “They can’t really go to meetings because if family members or others find out that they’re doing this, and they’re not appreciative of it, it completely destroys the purpose of trying to help and support them and the LGBT community.”
Mutyala said the overall goal of Coming Out Week is to continue the membership growth Pride Alliance has seen in the past.
“It’s definitely one of the largest groups that the PA has had in several years,” said Mutyala. “It’s really upsetting to me that some of these people have to actually go into hiding about it, but it’s something that we’re trying to tackle with these events. There’s some sort of membership involved, even if they can’t go to meetings regularly. There’s definitely different ways to get around the system of being involved, which is really nice. That’s what makes PA really special.”
Pride Alliance’s recent name change from Gay Straight Alliance also aims to exemplify an inclusionary, supportive environment.
“The name change aims to encompass all of the members of the LGBT community and avoid being narrowly focused on only those who identify as ‘gay’ and ‘straight,’” said Mutyala.
To find out more information about Pride Alliance or Coming Out Week events, contact Mutyala at 248-912-8174.
Coming Out Week Events
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Community Panel @ UC Pit, 5-6 p.m.
Safe Zone Workshop @ Rosenthal 200, 6-7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 7
LGBT History and Trivia @ UC Pit, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 8
Open Mic Night/Cupcake Bar @ Flight Deck, 7-9 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9
Flight Deck Backyard Party @Flight Deck, 12 p.m.
Rainbow Party @ Flight Deck, 8-10:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 – Oct. 9
NOH8 Campaign Tabling @ UC Spine, 12-1 p.m.
