As an arch of rainbow balloons and 30-40 cheerful marchers make their way through the Street Faire, Thursday afternoon’s National Coming Out Day rally drew to a close.
The rally was put together by University of Oregon’s LGBTQ&A Alliance and the LGBT Education and Support Services Program @@http://uodos.uoregon.edu/SupportandEducation/LGBTEducationandSupport/tabid/59/Default.aspx@@and is part of a series of events held throughout National Coming Out Week. It’s also in celebration of the 40^th anniversary of LGBTQ activism on campus.
“Our turnout has been huge,” said Alex Sylvester, @@checked directory@@who is both the event coordinator for the LGBTQ&A Alliance and the ASUO Gender and Sexual Diversity Advocate.@@http://asuo.uoregon.edu/executive.php?a=12@@
The rally began in the EMU Amphitheater and culminated with a march to the Pioneer Mother statue where the rainbow arch was raised to symbolize that “everyone is a pioneer,” according to Sylvester.
“It’s exciting being in a community that has an ‘out’ community, per se. I lived in Maui for four years, and you don’t see gay people,” said senior Linnet Millikan.@@directory@@ “(The importance of the event is) not necessarily to force outness on everyone else, but to be comfortable with who you are and have a safe environment where you can be who you are.”
The rally also featured pre-recorded coming out stories from faculty and students interlaced with music courtesy of KWVA, a literal door where people could come out and have their picture taken and a large banner that students and faculty could “high five” after covering their hands in paint.
Sylvester, who came up with the idea for the banner and planned many of the week’s events, decided to make a last-minute addition to the afternoon’s happenings after experiencing a moment of prejudice earlier in the week.
“Some of the street preachers said some pretty insensitive things to me,” Sylvester said. “So in response to that I called in a ‘kiss in.’”
Sylvester explained that a ‘kiss in’ is an event where people may hug, kiss, or hold hands in protest of homophobia and ignorance.
“It (coming out) can be one of the most empowering experiences of your life. Everyone should come out—as an ally, as yourself, because it’s really freeing to be able to be your whole self, no matter what that means,” said Maure Smith-Benanti,@@directory@@ assistant director of the LGBT Education and Support Services Program.