There is Support in all Directions

There is Support in all Directions
By. Elias Taveras

Buffalo State College's homosexual and allied students hosted the 'Coming out Week: OUT & ALLY photo project,' in order to acknowledge individuals that have came out and to assured them that they live in a save and accepting campus.

The event was hosted on Friday from 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm, in celebration of the National Coming Out Week.

In the event students and staff alike came in to the first floor of Bulger Communications to sign a pledge card. The voluntary pledge card encouraged people to never word a gay slur to other students on campus.

Then, individuals proceeded to take a photo holding a sign with the words ally or out on it. The pledge cards were going to be posted on the Pride Alliance office and the photos were to be posted on their Facebook page.

The event had hundreds of visitors and was described a success by Shakora Purks, president of Pride Alliance, and a junior theatre arts major from Buffalo.

“The event was a success, celebrating coming out week and acknowledging every individual that has already came out. As well as celebrating the presence of the allies that help people from the LGBT community,” said Purks.

The event also featured coming out stories from members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and  transgender community to encourage and help people that have yet to come out.

“You have to do it sometime,” said Purks, giving advice to individuals that are still in the closet.

Chantel Wells, a junior public relations student, from the Bronx, and part of Pride Alliance, said that with the pledge card and people like her, the campus is safe from gay discrimination.

“Signing the anti-gay slur-card, will help get the word out that ‘you know we are not going to take this anymore,’” Wells said, “If I see someone being call names I will called them out and then I will contact one of the officials at Pride Alliance.”

The vice president of Pride Alliance, Kiya Simmons, a Sophomore psychology student from Buffalo, said that so far she is happy with the support of the allies of the LGBT community.

“Allies are people that are not part of the LGBT community, so they are not gay, lesbians, bisexual, or transgender. However, they support and accept our community,” said Simmons.

Simmons, later said the event showed that members of the LGBT do not only have friends inside their community.