When College junior and QPenn co-Chairman Phil Cochetti stepped up to a podium adorned with a rainbow flag banner and multicolored balloons yesterday to address a throng of students on College Green, his voice increased slowly in volume until it reached a pitch that could be heard far down Locust Walk.
"The people who are walking by who aren't paying any attention need to be aware of the [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and allies] community," he said amid applause. "We are here and we are proud."
QPenn, the annual gay pride and awareness week planned by members of the LGBT community and its allies, kicked off two nights ago with a screening of the documentary Gay Pioneers and a discussion with two early gay rights activists, Barbara Gittings and Frank Kameny, who were featured in the film.
The rally, held on College Green yesterday afternoon, boasted speakers ranging from student activists to administrators who spoke about issues such as gay marriage and discrimination in the work force.
The theme of this year's QPenn is "Generation Q: question everything."
According to Queer Student Alliance co-Chairman Brett Thalmann, the theme was chosen because questioning is a way to transform society and an activity to which all youth -- gay or straight -- can relate.
"It is so important to question one's beliefs and preconceived notions, to question the boundaries that have been put in place by society," he said. "We tried to pick a theme that would engage everyone in the community. As a generation, we have grown up learning to question authority and the status quo."
As part of the theme of questioning, organizers have tried to plan events that delve into issues they feel are often deemed too controversial to touch. These topics include collaboration between religious and gay communities, homophobia in sports and society at large, the little-known culture of the leather community and the concept of having multiple identities -- for instance, being both gay and black.
Another goal of the unconventional events is to raise awareness in the campus community about LGBT issues.
"The LGBT community has some very strong members, and there are straight people who seriously care about the issues, and then there is the rest of campus," Cochetti said at the rally as he stood among a number of students who were having difficulty handing out flyers to passing students. "I feel that the rest of campus so outnumbers those who care that apathy reigns. As we stand here, it is, 'How fast can I get past this rally?' and not, 'I wonder what is going on?'"
Thalmann said that the week is meant to combat this apathy.
"We're often very complacent on this campus, thinking that we're very tolerant and accepting. But it's that very complacency that we're trying to challenge by questioning everything," he said.
Thalmann said that if some Penn students do not seem interested in the week's events, it could be a "mixture of lack of awareness and people not thinking it's an issue."
Recent Penn graduate and LGBT ally Nikki Riley, who planned the rally, said that organizers are flyering to all students, putting up posters throughout campus and planning events in neutral spaces in the hope that the generated awareness will help turn passive support among straight students into active support.
"A lot of people tolerate the LGBT community at Penn, but they are not doing a lot to support it," she said. "It is not that they are against what the LGBT community is doing, but they just don't think it pertains to them at all. Technically it's not my issue, but it is my issue. It's everyone's issue; it's human rights."
Thalmann said that the issues raised during QPenn will have far-reaching effects.
"This week can set the stage for the community moving forward," he said. "It can set the agenda."
