LGBA celebrates Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day, celebrated today, encourages gays, lesbians and bisexuals to open up to family and friends -- or "come out of the closet" -- about their homosexuality. The University has sponsored activities throughout the week to promote the event, including a candlelight vigil at the peace sign on College Green last night. According to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance Co-Chairperson and Engineering junior Dave Weiner, the week-long campaign aimed to support those who are openly gay and others who have not yet come out to friends and family. "Coming out of the closet can be an enormously difficult and long struggle for people who are gay, lesbian and bisexual," Weiner said. "This week is a way of not only celebrating those who have come out of the closet, but it is also a way to paying tribute to those who are still in the closet -- and let them know that some of us have come out and survived." In events leading up to today's Coming Out Day, the LGBA sponsored a discussion called "Queer Genetic Pride," a movie night, a "Questioning Rap Group" and yesterday's vigil. The LGBA is also planning a dance for tonight, to be held at 4015 Baltimore Street. And Saturday a group of students will take a bus to Washington, D.C. to view the AIDS quilt. This year's events have been slightly modified from past years in hopes of appealing to more of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community, Weiner said. College and Wharton senior Ron Jenkins noted that this year, openly gay students will not pop out of the button sculpture on College Green, as they have done in the past to symbolize their coming out. Jenkins said he considers the button event "a bit patronizing." LGBA Communications Secretary and College sophomore Alex Gino said the national significance of the week makes her feel connected to friends who attend other schools. Some campuses observe only National Coming Out Day, but others, such as Penn, hold several events throughout the week, according to Director of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Center Bob Schoenberg. "Having events on campus is really beneficial, even if it is just to show the community that there are gay people on campus," College sophomore Steven Huang said. "Plus, it sends a message to people who are still in the closet." Schoenberg said that National Coming Out Day have a similar purpose to March's Bisexual Gay Lesbian and Transgendered Awareness Days. "They both have two-pronged objectives," Schoenberg said. "First, to celebrate the lesbian, gay and bisexual community and foster a sense of pride within it -- and second, to educate the general Penn community." According to Schoenberg, National Coming Out Day is particularly important because outsiders "almost always assume that you are heterosexual until you tell them otherwise." "Unfortunately, the risks of homo-hatred are great and some people cannot afford to pay the price -- or enjoy the benefits -- of being out," he said. "It is those people who we acknowledge at the candlelight vigil."