When Kate Stevens came to Ohio University as a freshman, she had no idea there was a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community on campus ' until Out Week.
I wasn't publicly out yet and it was eye opening
knowing there was stuff to do and I could go places without putting myself in a bad position she said.
This year, Stevens, a sophomore studying exercise physiology and gender studies, is the co-chair for Out Week, a weeklong series of events that begins today and ends Oct. 11.
Sponsored by the student organization Open Doors, Out Week celebrates coming out and being yourself, said Wes Allen, a sophomore studying theater who is the other co-chair for the event. This year's theme, 'Out of the closet and into the streets' was inspired by a gay rights slogan from the '90s, Allen added.
(This week is about saying) it's OK to be LGBT or (a supporter of LGBT people) it's OK to be who you are
he said. You don't have to be afraid to come out and learn about yourself and the LGBT community.
The week kicks off with a performance by the Indigo Girls tonight, and the keynote speaker for the week, Mary Coble, will give a performance, Beyond Identity Politics: Queering the Body through Performance Art next Friday in Bromley Dining Hall. During her live exhibitions, Coble has the names of LGBT hate crime victims tattooed on her body using a needle without ink, Allen said.
It's going to be very intense
Stevens said.
Out Week has been celebrated at OU since the mid '90s. Every year the week is centered around Oct. 11, which is National Coming Out Day, an international day that raises awareness about coming out, said Mickey Hart, director of the LGBT Center. This year Out Week ends on National Coming Out Day.
Out Week events change people's perceptions and understanding of the LGBT community as well as provide a support system for LGBT students.
It's important for people who can be out everyday and every way to tell their stories
Hart said. I recognize there are people who can't be out
but it's important for them to see people who can be out and live vicariously through them.
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