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OutProud Week begins
Awareness will be high this week with Monday kicking off OutProud Week, an event-filled week devoted to education and understanding of the homosexual, bisexual and transgender community.
Events begin with the "Real, Real World" display set up in the Glacier Room in Atwood Monday and Tuesday. Students are able to walk through the room, listening to audio, video and reading information on all types of oppression and hatred that minorities face on an everyday basis.
"This allows students to walk through a day in the life of various oppressed populations," said Heidi Aldes, a student and member of OutLoud! The display will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Also Monday is "Homophobia 101," which is an awareness raising workshop aimed at students, professors and faculty.
"It provides information on history, awareness raising, workshop definitions, heterosexual privilege, religion, stereotypes and how to be an ally," said Sheri Atkinson, one of the coordinators of OutProud Week. "Homophobia 101," considered a prerequisite to Safe Space Training, will help students and faculty to better cope with issues involving Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender students (GLBT). The class will be held at 3 p.m. at the GLBT Services, B105 in Atwood.
Tuesday night, the play "Mastering Sex and Tortillas" will be held in the Performance Arts Center Recital Hall at 7 p.m. Sponsored by OutLoud! and MeCha, the play humorously educates on issues involving race, sexuality, gender and Latina/o immigration issues. My Lucha, a dramatic troop from California, is coming to St. Cloud to perform the play.
Wednesday from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., there will be Safe Space Training. This focuses on making employment spaces more open to GLBT people.
"There's a safe space sticker posted on doors of those professors and faculty that lets students know that they're gay friendly," said Casey Zehrer, a student at GLBT Services. "If they feel they need someone to talk to, the safe space lets students know that's somewhere they can go." It's necessary to call ahead and make reservations for this event, which can be done by calling GLBT Services at (654-5166).
"Guess the Straight Person" will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Voyageurs North in Atwood. The event is comprised of a panel of people, and the audience is allowed to ask them questions for 30 minutes. There are limits to the questions, and if a panel member feels uncomfortable answering any question, they have the right to pass on it. At the end, audience members are to guess who is gay and who is straight. Presented by OutLoud!, it's being held to demonstrate just how much social stereotypes play a role when making assumptions about someone's sexual preference.
Thursday at 3 p.m. in the Lady Slipper room in Atwood, "That's so Gay," a workshop and discussion on political correctness, hate speech and it's effects on the community will be held.First created by Amanda Seelen and Stacey Flannigan, it allows students the chance for discussion on current events and hot topics, as well as a chance to educate.
OutProud Week will conclude with its main event Saturday night, the 7th bi-annual Drag Show, held in Atwood Ballroom at 8 p.m. A silent auction will precede the show, at 6 p.m. The drag show will consist of drag kings and queens dressed to excess and performing songs for the audience. All the proceeds are to benefit a nonprofit organization, and the performance will consist mostly of students and local community members, as well as some alumni. Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance for a reduced cost of $3 and $5 for students and non students respectively. The cost for students and non students will be $4 and $6 at the door.
With exception of the drag show, the events for OutProud week are free open to the public and provided by GLBT Services and OutLoud!
OutLoud! meets every Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the GLBT office, located in B105 in Atwood.
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