Awareness week to break stereotypes
Pride Aliance hopes to educate, inform UA campus on LGBTQ
By: Heather Trujillo
Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: News
In an effort to break molds and stereotypes, the ASUA's Pride Alliance is hoping to bring awareness to the UA community this week.
"Sometimes, with the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) community, people only focus on the sexuality aspect of everything," said Chase Sutton, a sophomore majoring in political science and psychology. "These events are to help show we are more than our sexuality. We have other identities too, like our race and religion."
Pride Alliance has been working alongside the LGBTQ community since the beginning of the semester and even into last semester planning events for the week to raise consciousness about the community, said Cathy Busha, director of LGBTQ Affairs.
"It's a great opportunity to challenge a stereotype," Busha said. "LGBTQ in this and every community sometimes feel they have to choose between things like being a Christian and being LGBTQ. This is really to help show them they don't have to."
Among the events planned are discussion panels, films and other forums that will be used in hopes of engaging LGBTQ students and faculty alike to interact and break stereotypes.
"We have worked with a lot of different organizations and through that we have gotten things like a panel on Tuesday talking about LGBTQ individuals who are of different races and religions," Sutton said. "We even have Wednesday set up to watch 'Dearly Beloved,' about the 2004 marriages in San Francisco since Feb. 14 is freedom to marry day."
The main purpose of these events is to help anyone understand that there is more to members of the LGBTQ community than their sexuality, Sutton said. Identity is an important part of the coming out process, and each person is more than his or her sexuality.
"We really want people to kind of understand and learn more to support to community and ultimately realize that we have other identities and we relate to different groups of people through those identities," Sutton said.
"Sometimes, with the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) community, people only focus on the sexuality aspect of everything," said Chase Sutton, a sophomore majoring in political science and psychology. "These events are to help show we are more than our sexuality. We have other identities too, like our race and religion."
It's a great opportunity to challenge a stereotype.
- Cathy Busha,
director,
LGBTQ Affairs
Pride Alliance has been working alongside the LGBTQ community since the beginning of the semester and even into last semester planning events for the week to raise consciousness about the community, said Cathy Busha, director of LGBTQ Affairs.
"It's a great opportunity to challenge a stereotype," Busha said. "LGBTQ in this and every community sometimes feel they have to choose between things like being a Christian and being LGBTQ. This is really to help show them they don't have to."
Among the events planned are discussion panels, films and other forums that will be used in hopes of engaging LGBTQ students and faculty alike to interact and break stereotypes.
"We have worked with a lot of different organizations and through that we have gotten things like a panel on Tuesday talking about LGBTQ individuals who are of different races and religions," Sutton said. "We even have Wednesday set up to watch 'Dearly Beloved,' about the 2004 marriages in San Francisco since Feb. 14 is freedom to marry day."
The main purpose of these events is to help anyone understand that there is more to members of the LGBTQ community than their sexuality, Sutton said. Identity is an important part of the coming out process, and each person is more than his or her sexuality.
"We really want people to kind of understand and learn more to support to community and ultimately realize that we have other identities and we relate to different groups of people through those identities," Sutton said.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
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posted 2/11/08 @ 1:23 AM MST
Does this not make any sense to anyone else: 'Let's show that there are more to the members of the LGBTQ besides being gay... by identifying first that they're members of the LGBTQ community. (Continued…)
Dave
posted 2/11/08 @ 8:40 AM MST
Then why have a SPECIAL organization that identifies you by your gayness? I'm sick of gays cramming this down our throats.
na
posted 2/11/08 @ 10:41 PM MST
They're going to run out of letters to add to their group name soon enough. Two years ago it was LGB, then it was LGBT, now LGBTQ, what's next, LGBTQA? (A=asexual)
katemos
kate
posted 2/25/08 @ 6:43 PM MST
LGBTQ The 'Q' means what?
I know a friendly and comfortable environment for bisexuals and bicurious. http://Biromances.com
John Canada
posted 3/10/08 @ 10:18 PM MST
So there is an organization, big deal. There are all kinds of organizations dedicated to for gays. Even hotels and resorts. There must be a hundred gay resorts and hotels in Ontario alone. (Continued…)
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