University students are well known for the many ways they show their pride, wearing orange and blue, quoting Thomas Jefferson, or even just the occasional boasts about their school's academic ranking. But last week, a number of groups on Grounds joined together to celebrate a different kind of pride.
Proud To Be Out Week is a series of events meant to foster confidence about sexual orientation and gender identity while raising awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues. Sponsored by the Queer Student Union, the LGBT Resource Center, Queer and Allied Activism and Sigma Omicron Rho, the event kicked off last week with Queer Prom April 16.
This year Queer Prom's theme was Cirque, which indicates more than a fun costume opportunity, said Edward Warwick, LGBT Resource Center program coordinator.
He said the center selected the theme because of the chance it offers for free expression.
"There is a claim to imagination, the creating of environment, unfortunately not real, where people can be open and express themselves," Warwick said.
Second-year Architecture student Matt Kluge said the prom gives students an opportunity to participate in something they might have missed out on in high school.
"[Queer Prom is] a way for people to retake their prom and maybe go with who they really want to," Kluge said.
Like the Rainbow Run 5K, which took place the following Saturday, the prom was a way to bring students together as well as to reach out to the larger University community. This year, the proceeds from both events were donated to the Charlottesville branch of ROSMY, the Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth.
"The LGBT Resource Center decided to support ROSMY youth and high school students because high school is probably the hardest time for sexually minority children - they are unable to dress the way they would like or bring who they would like [to events]," Warwick said.
First-year College student Trevor Klein, co-vice president of QSU and member of QUAA's executive board, said finding a balance between fun social events such as Queer Prom and drag bingo and more solemn informative activities is a key part of Proud To Be Out Week.
"We try to have more serious events during the week, [and we] try to engage the community and discuss issues LGBT students face," Klein said.
First-year Engineering student Heather Quante participated in one such informative event. She performed in "Live Homosexual Acts!," QUAA's annual spring show featuring pieces written and performed by University students. Quante presented a monologue and poems submitted by other students and said she enjoyed being able to speak up for her peers.
"It was really great to be that voice to show the community what [the students] had written," Quante said.
Other Proud To Be Out Week events included a keynote speech by LGBTQ political blogger Pam Spaulding, lunch on the Lawn and two film screenings and discussions.
Quante attended the screening of "The Bubble," a film which followed the lives of both gay and straight residents of Tel Aviv, and the challenges they face living there.
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