On Oct. 11, 2012 National Coming Out Day took place all across the United States. With gay pride parades and personal celebrations, people from the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community united to celebrate their coming out.
Student from campuses and colleges all over the country welcomed new LGBT members. And at Utah State University the day was celebrated a couple days early to allow maximum participation by placing it on a weekday.
The Access and Diversity Center at USU includes an organization titled the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Allied students, also known as LGBTQA.
Rachel Brighton is the program coordinator for LGBTQA. Within this organization, there are several entities whose purpose is to help students, faculty and staff learn how to love and embrace themselves for who they are.
Love Is For Everyone, also known as LIFE, is a club on campus that is completely student run under the Associated Students of Utah State University Council of Student Clubs and Organizations.
“They try and do a service project every month and they hold weekly meetings on Tuesdays. Some of their big events are, ‘Gender Blender, ‘The Vagina Monologues’ and the ‘National Day of Silence’ in April,” said Brighton, the LIFE club’s advisor.
The ‘Gender Blender’ event took place on Nov.19, 2011 where girls dressed as boys and boys dressed as girls mixed and mingled at a dance at the Hamilton’s event center.
The “Vagina Monologues,” will take place in February hosted by the LIFE club on a date titled, V-Day. This date stands for a day to end violence against women, known as, “Vagina Day.” This event is a play that includes stories revolving around girls who have experienced: rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sex slavery. This event occurs across the nation to help raise money for women’s anti-violence groups, according to Vday.org.
On April 20, 2012, Utah State University’s campus will be a lot quieter.
“On the National Day of Silence hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools,” according to Dayofsilence.org.
Those are only a few of the main events the LIFE program has hosted. Each event has also received wide spread attention and great acclaim throughout the years, according to Brighton.
“Brown Bag” is also a program hosted by the LGBTQA center that, “Is a essentially a support group for LGBTQ. It’s run by the counceling center and takes place in the LGBTQA lounge every Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.,” Brighton said.
Brown Bag received it’s name due to it taking place during the lunch hour, where students, staff, and faculty can bring their lunches and discuss issues they are having with coming out, family struggles, support or any other needs they may have.
“Brown Bag and LIFE events are wonderful for LGBTQ students who are looking for a community. It allows them to network with like-minded individuals and realize they aren't alone,” said Jordan Hunt, a member of the life Club, “Utah has a bad rap for being really conservative and I think when I see other people who are, ‘like me’ that could only be a good thing.”
The LGBTQA has received an incredibly positive response from the school and community. They are there for everyone gay or straight, transgender or not. The purpose of LGBTQA is to help provide a support system to make people feel comfortable in a harassment free environment.
“I think the LGBTQA Office is a great resource for students, faculty and staff, and community members. It can be useful for those who have questions. It promotes an open and caring environment and culture of Utah State,” Hunt said.
(L.Rios)
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