Multiple events will recognize National Coming Out Day today, including Open Doors’ Queer Aquarium.
Over time, the stance toward planning events for National Coming Out Day has changed significantly.
“For many years we did a week of events anchored around National Coming Out Day,” said Mickey Hart, director of the LGBT Center. “But the past couple years Open Doors has focused on LGBT History Month.”
Hart said it’s more advantageous to shift the focus on one day to make more of an impact.
The idea of the Queer Aquarium is to show that gay people are no different than heterosexual people, and therefore homophobia is unfounded. The event will take place at the Howard Hall site from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We’re going off the statistic that homosexuality is found in more than 450 species, (and) homophobia is found in just one,” female co-chair of Open Doors Katie Meisky said. “So we’re playing off the idea that functioning in this homophobic way is really unique.”
The event will involve students doing activities that are commonplace around campus like studying and throwing a flying disc to show that apart from sexuality, straight people and LGBT people are essentially the same.
“(The event will) allow better visualization of who is out and to show the importance of coming out to LGBT individuals who might be still in the closet,” Michael Pistrui, male co-chair of Open Doors said.
The event plans to feature a free-standing door to represent “the closet.” People can write on the door leaving their own personal mark.
“There are a lot of tables on campus, but how many times do you see people sitting in an area of caution tape,” Hart said. “How many times do you see a door that people can write on, graffiti or tell a story? It has more of an interactive component and more of an visual impact.”
The LGBT Center is holding three different events in light of the day: A Dine and Discuss on the Coming Out Process from noon to 1 p.m.; a SafeZone Workshop from 2 to 4 p.m.; and a SpeakOUT! panel from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. All events are in the Baker Center LGBT office.
For more information on National Coming Out Day or resources on the LGBT community, visit " http://www.ohio.edu/lgbt/
eb104010@ohiou.edu
