U. kicks off Bisexual, Gay Lesbian Awareness Days '97

"Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian Awareness Days '97" kicks off tonight with a party in Houston Hall's Bowl Room featuring food, drink and music. The University has held an on-campus celebration of gay, lesbian and bisexual pride for 12 years, but the official B-GLAD concept was initiated a mere five years ago. The awareness days -- which continue through March 29 -- are designed to celebrate the diversity and achievements of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community and to educate the University at large about homosexual issues. The extended event is both "celebratory and educational," according to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Center Director Bob Schoenberg. He explained that the events -- primarily coordinated by the LGBC and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance -- include a variety of exhibits, forums and panel discussions intended to contribute to a "celebration of pride in the lesbian, gay and bisexual community at Penn and a heightened awareness of the gay community by the general public at Penn." A photography and text exhibit called "Love Makes a Family" -- which includes pictures of families with lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered members -- is open in the Bowl Room of Houston Hall from 7:30 a.m. to midnight everyday until March 26. Other B-GLAD events include a discussion on homosexuality and spirituality Wednesday at the Christian Association and a forum Friday entitled "Bisexuality: Gender Differences and Perceptions," which will explore the differing experiences of bisexual men and women. Saturday, the B-GLAD committee will join with the Human Rights Campaign -- a nationwide gay and lesbian political organization -- for a fundraising dinner and dance at the Transit Museum. The theme of the event is "Moving Toward Equality," and features HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch and Candace Gingrich -- HRC Field Consultant and the half-sister of U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- as keynote speakers. "I am really looking forward to our featured speakers because they provide different and unique perspectives within our community," said LGBA Co-Chairperson Maria Gonzalez, a College senior. Schoenberg added that he hopes programs such as B-GLAD will be an effective way of combining the University's homosexual and heterosexual communities. "I would be very happy at the end of B-GLAD days if the lesbian, gay and bisexual students, staff and faculty had an enhanced sense of pride in the Penn gay community and if the heterosexual members of the Penn community were more aware and ideally more accepting of our community," he said.