As most of the campus prepares this week for midterms and selling $100 Ohio State football tickets, there are other activities occurring all over campus for National Coming Out Week.
The event started in 1987 when half a million people marched in Washington, D.C., for gay and lesbian equality. This week marks the anniversary of the Oct. 11 march and is a celebration for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender peoples across the nation.
\Coming Out week is not necessarily a week where a bunch of LGBT people come out, but in addition, a week to show the strength and the movement of the community,"" said Ten Percent Society Secretary and UW-Madison senior Mark Sadowski.
Groups such as the Ten Percent Society, Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment and Sex Out Loud are all sponsoring different events this week on the UW-Madison campus, including a unisex bathroom hunt to the LGBT International Film showing of ""Beautiful Thing.""
An earlier event was the Allies Kickoff on Tuesday. Sponsored by the LGBT Campus Center, Allies urge for the support of LGBT people.
""The concept of Allies is that heterosexual faculty, staff and students can all speak out for the safety and well-being of LGBT students."" said Eric Trekell, director of the LGBT Campus Center. ""Allies can advocate in terms of transgender protections in the discrimination clause or put a poster on their door, so LGBT people know who to talk to if they are having problems.""
Informing and enlightening the UW-Madison campus on LGBT awareness is also a major theme of the week. Events such as a Bascom Hill chalking inform students on famous LGBT people. Listing such names as Julius Caesar and Drew Barrymore, the chalking let UW-Madison students know of more than 100 LGBT people.
Coming Out Week is also about coming out and having a good time. On Friday PAVE will be putting on a drag show. After that, there will be the TPS Dance, where LGBT couples can get down on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Coming Out Day. Held in the Great Hall of Memorial Union, the dance is open to everyone, but is LGBT-friendly. Admission to both the show and dance is $5, and includes the scantily clad Tiny Dancers, a group that normally performs the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
""The dances are a safe space and go a long way towards abolishing the thinking that it isn't normal or it is wrong to be gay."" said Joshua Petit, TPS executive officer and UW-Madison senior. ""The event is open to all UW-Madison students and many non-LGBT students attend the dances because of the inviting and active atmosphere they have.""
Coming out is described by the Human Rights Campaign as not a destination, but a journey. The events this week are just one step in the LGBT community's lifelong journey in celebrating equality and perseverance.
