October 5 kicked off the annual tradition known as National Coming Out Week. Every year, thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied students at hundreds of high schools and colleges around the country get together to celebrate this historical week. Students at NEIU were no exception.
National Coming Out Week, which was created 22 years ago in Washington, is a celebration of the civil right achievements the LGBT community and the women and men who sacrificed so much of themselves to earn equality. It is also a time for openly-gay individuals to remember, share and discuss their own experiences by revealing an important part of themselves to those around them.
NEIU’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Alliance (GLBTA), a student organization catering to the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students at NEIU and those who support them, commemorated National Coming Out Week in a variety of ways. On the first few days of their celebration, various club members had a table set up in the Student Union and Village Square areas advertising ideas of acceptance and equality. They also encouraged anyone to write messages on rainbow colored buttons with a coming-out story or words of support. The buttons will be displayed on the GLBTA bulletin board, located between the Information Center and the University Events box office, alongside flyers for future GLBTA events and meetings.
Following the tabling and button event, the GLBTA hosted a poetry slam on Oct. 8. The slam, which was held in room FA 203, encouraged participants to share their writings, thoughts and experiences related to coming out and gay culture in general. Among the pieces shared were an anti-discrimination poem by an unnamed author and several intriguing tales, some lightly comical and some deeply emotional, of what it was like for GLBTA-identifying students to tell their loved ones of their alternative sexual orientation.
To top it all off, on Oct. 9th, some NEIU students attended the 8th annual Coming Out Ball, a prom-like, annual event that allows LGBT-identifying, college age students and supporters to dress up and have a night out on the town in a safe and welcoming environment.
The Facebook events page for this year’s Ball, hosted by Columbia College Chicago, drew an excess of 500 of potential attendees to the Facebook group created for the event. Hosted by Chicago’s own Miss Foozie and featuring several performances, a raffle and artwork provided a welcomed transition into National Coming Out Day. Proceeds from the annual ball are donated to a LGBT serving charity of the host college’s choice.