UW-Green Bay raises awareness of gay and lesbian issues in October
GREEN BAY — Throughout the month of October, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is addressing the issues faced in gay and lesbian communities.
Students and staff will pass out “Gay? Fine by Me” T-shirts to those wishing to show support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning (LGBTQ) community. The T-shirt campaign runs the week of Oct. 5 in the University Union and Cofrin Library.
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, a “Does Your Mother Know?” panel discussion will address the coming out experiences of UW-Green Bay LGBTQ students. The discussion, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 4 p.m. in the University Union’s Christie Theatre.
The two events are precursors to UW-Green Bay’s second-annual Ally Conference, scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. The conference emphasizes diversity and accessibility issues within all student populations, and also provides a safe environment to celebrate the diversity and talents of women, people of color, persons with disabilities and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning (LGBTQ) community. Conference participants will also learn how to become an ally and advocate for these communities, organizers say.
The conference, which also features best-selling author and LGBT civil rights leader Shane L. Windmeyer as the keynote speaker, is free for UW-Green Bay students and $25 for community members. Register by Wednesday, Sept. 30 and receive a conference T-shirt. Registration is available online at http://www.uwgb.edu/aic/ally.
For more information on these events contact Multicultural Adviser Mai J. Lo Lee at (920) 465-2720, or via e-mail at lom@uwgb.edu.
The ALLY Conference is sponsored by UW-Green Bay’s American Intercultural Center, Campus Life Diversity Taskforce, Human Development Program, Social Change and Development Program, Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Social Work Program, Office of Student Life, Office of Residence Life, and the Residence Hall and Apartment Association. Harmony Café in Green Bay is a community sponsor.
(Editor’s note: For more on keynote speaker Shane L. Windmeyer, visit his website at http://www.shanewindmeyer.com/.)
#09-166
