Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Don’t be surprised to see a giant door placed on Wescoe Beach today when KU Queers and Allies recognizes National Coming Out Day. The organization will observe the 19th annual National Coming Out Day today with displays and information available to students on campus.
David Ta, Wichita senior and Queers & Allies events coordinator, said students could walk through the door on Wescoe Beach to symbolize the transition of coming out, or support for the gay community.
“It will definitely be a focal point on campus,” Ta said. “For me it’s important to physically show we need the straight community to support their queer brothers and sisters.”
Ta said Queers & Allies made armbands with pink triangles to distribute to students. He said during World War II, pink triangles were used by Nazis at concentration camps to single out and identify homosexuals. Today the pink triangle is used as a symbol of pride and remembrance for the gay community.
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center will join Queers & Allies to promote awareness and education on Wescoe Beach. Tiffany Spriggs, graduate intern for LGBT offices in the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, said National Coming Out Day wasn’t just about celebration. It also focuses on understanding the hardships both gay and straight people experience with the coming out process.
“In the past we’ve distributed T-shirts and made it a big happy deal,” Spriggs said. “But it’s most important to understand that gay people struggle every day with the stigma society has placed on them.”
Spriggs said she wanted to spread information about suicide rates of homosexuals. She said that when she had researched youth suicide rates, she found homosexual youths 18-25 years old had a much greater risk than heterosexual youths. A 2001 study by the American Journal of Public Health said youths with same-sex orientation were twice as likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youths.
Spriggs said the KU LGBT Resource Center provided resources about support services and programs, an online library, and Safe Zone workshops to educate faculty and staff about how to support and work with the gay community.
Associate professor and Queers & Allies adviser, Maggie Childs said the day was beneficial for both gay and straight people. Childs said the day would educate members of the straight community, and prevent stereotypes based on ignorance. She said it was easy for students to believe they didn’t know anyone who was gay. She said the day would also help gay and lesbian students understand how to come out to their friends and family.
Thursday is the official date of National Coming Out Day, but KU Queers & Allies will observe it today on campus. The first National Coming Out Day was celebrated on October 11, 1988 after the success of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
— Edited by Luke Morris
Group celebrates "coming out"
Coming out in support of a group has taken on a whole ...
Visibility Day encourages open discussion
Queers and Allies join to raise awareness of sexual orientation issues.
Couples' lip locks kick off pride week
Queers and Allies organize public displays of affection on Wescoe Beach to ...
Helped Out
KU Queers & Allies provides a safe place for everyone.
Student Housing sponsors lecture on LGBT issues
John Corvino will visit Hashinger Hall theater to heighten students’ understanding of ...
Letter: Encouraging gay pride
Despite ripped-down flags, campus still place of tolerance.
KU Queers and Allies sponsors Day of ...
Students from 6,500 schools across the country are participating in the Day ...
Queers & Allies have the answers
The group aimed to increase understanding and acceptance from the straight community. ...
Displays of affection for activism
Queers and Allies hosts ‘kiss-in’ to raise awareness of gay couples.
National T-shirt campaign visits campus, promotes acceptance
Queers and Allies hosts “Tranny Talk”
Panel will address transgender issues.
‘Queer’ label prompts reflection, change
Editorial: Pride Week is a time to ...
The student group Queers and Allies formed 20 years ago at the ...
Facebook adds new relationship status options
Domestic partnerships and civil unions can now be officially recognized on Facebook.
Program informs students about LGBT community
Safe Space Ally workshops provide information on terminology and issues surrounding the ...
Castle: Gay bars have important significance in ...
Gay bars serve as a place homosexuals can always find comfort and ...
Queers and Allies strive for student equality
Queers and Allies are forming its own version of the program It ...
Free: Those against equality share in deaths
Anyone who works against equality for LGBTQ youth shares responsibility for the ...
Queers and Allies celebrates 40th anniversary
The “gutsy” students who started the group returned to campus for the ...
A look at KU's changing face of ...
University's turbulent past has evolved into a somewhat tranquil state of activism.
Bisexuals face additional challenges
Students struggle for acceptance in LGBT communities.
Event works to eliminate hate
The Multicultural Resource Center’s Hate Out Week promotes unity, tolerance and understanding.
Gay rights debate rages on
This election could mean a new direction for gay rights
Speaker sheds light on transgender life
Debra Davis visits the University tonight for KU Queers and Allies’ Transgender ...
Free For All: November 15, 2007
Did everybody on campus know that we’re 10-0 in football? I had ...
Taking time out for pride
Queers and Allies begins Pride Week with event on Stauffer-Flint lawn.
Queers & Allies shares the love with ...
The attention-grabbing public display of affection aims to make viewers more comfortable ...
Panel to discuss being gay in America
Queers and Allies presents a multigenerational perspective on gay issues in the ...
Local bars show support for LGBT community
Teller’s becomes the newest business to host a weekly ‘Family Night’
Editorial: Classroom environment improved with program
Safe Space program helps make classroom more open and understanding.
Letter: Groups should be able to publicize ...
Bitch and moan
LBGT group allies itself with activism
The group will participate in Banned Books Week, among other events.
Panel to discuss transgender issues
Queers and Allies will host the event to raise awareness of gender ...
Commission votes against addition to discrimination policy
City won’t add protection for transgender identity.
Hirschfeld: TV shows don't represent the LGBT ...
Coming out into freedom
Queers and Allies will host a speaker Tuesday in honor of National ...
Queers and Allies concludes week with Brown ...
Valentine’s Day unconventionally
Students define the celebration of Valentine’s day with parties, conventions and quality ...
Project uplifts LGBT youth
Dan Savage, the founder of the "It Gets Better" project, spoke to ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID