It’s dark. Disco balls and black lights highlight patches of the bright blue skating rink as a radio Top 40 song echoes around the room. Veteran and inexperienced roller skaters of all ages shuffle, glide and race around the rink, some holding hands in wide, five-person chains, others clutching the wall for support.
This familiar scene is what drew the University’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Queer Alliance to Springfield’s Skate World Thursday night, as the group set out to celebrate National Coming Out Week together in a relaxed and fun all-ages setting.
After a week of other events focused on National Coming Out Week — including Tuesday’s rainbow arch on campus and Friday’s Coming Out Dance — those involved in the LGBTQA welcomed the opportunity to dress up, lace up some skates and hang out with family and friends at the roller rink for their annual event, Queer Skate.
“I think for National Coming Out Week in particular we like to do a lot of things regularly that are, you know, out out out, and sometimes you just want to come do a regular thing with your family,” said Maure Smith-Benanti, Assistant Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Education and Support Services (LGBTESSP). “That’s kind of the reasoning behind (Queer Skate), because everybody can just come and be themselves and have a regular, family-friendly event.”
“Skating is something that kind of puts everyone on even ground. You come out and you just put skates on and it’s what it’s all about,” said Chicora Martin, Assistant Dean of Students and Director, LGBTESSP. “You know, it doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, who you are, who your friends are. And people bring family, kids, and it’s fabulous.”
For some, however, this event wasn’t all about skating and spending time with friends and family — costumes also played a role in the festivities, as some attendees took the neon jungle theme seriously and dressed in their brightest, most creative clothes.
Anna Bergstrom and Kristopher Poulin-Thilbault, university freshman and senior, respectively, brightened the skating rink with neon tights and leotards as well as blue, red, green and yellow feathers that formed tails, bracelets and headbands in order to create their jungle animal costume of choice: parrots.
“I love dressing up, I love skating, I love costumes,” said Bergstrom, pointing to her feather wristband and explaining how she made the costume herself, using elastic and hot glue. For her creativity, Bergstrom won the “Best Dressed” award for that evening, subsequently skating the prize around the rink for a victory lap.
Dressed up or not, skating around the rink was not easy for everyone.
“I think the last time I wore roller skates, I was five. As you can tell, I’m really graceful,” joked junior Nick Schultz. Others admitted to falling once or twice on the skating rink.
Along with the excitement of skating and costumes, LGBTQ community members also spent time reflecting on National Coming Out Week.
“We just get together and celebrate being ourselves and it’s not really about what other people think, it’s about what we think of each other as a whole. It’s really just a big celebration for us for just being who we are, which I think is wonderful,” said Schultz.
Alex Sylvester, a junior and coordinator for the LGBTQA, agreed.
“I think it’s just nice to see how many different types of people we have at U of O and in our community and out of our community who are supporting us, and how we support each other, because the beginning of the year is really a time when we can all come together.”
And by the end of the night, as friends and allies returned their roller skates and grouped together to head home, this event at the year’s beginning was believed a success.