Home > MetNews

Talk about coming out at Auraria
Students invited to speak the truth about their own sexuality
By Jeff Tejcek
jtejcek@mscd.edu

Photo by Jenn LeBlanc • jkerriga@mscd.edu The Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services organized a celebration Oct. 11 at the center of campus for National Coming Out Day. Free condoms and dental dams were available as well as information on the services provided by the office.

Tory Lipsey, 19, decided that National Coming Out Day was his opportunity to be honest about who he is.

“I came out this morning to my mom and my brothers and sisters,” Lipsey said. “It’s been kind of an OK thing, it’s all love.”

Lipsey said he comes from a strong Christian background, so his parents tell him they will always pray for him.

“I feel like it’s kind of accepted, but not really,” he said, referring to his family’s reaction. “It’s OK to be (gay), but not really.”

Auraria once again celebrated National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11. The day aims to increase awareness of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and was founded in 1988 by Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary.

People often choose this day to come out to their family, friends and co-workers. This year’s theme was “Talk About It.”

Sable Schultz, a transgendered bisexual, said she feels proud to be part of the day’s celebration and wants people to be accepting of the GLBT community. She points out they are not out to subvert or corrupt the community.

“We’re human, we get scared. We just want to live and be happy,” Schultz said. “I don’t think I would give up being who I am for anything else.”

The celebration at Auraria, sponsored by Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services, was held by the flagpole and included dance music, information booths and representatives from the GLBT community.

Groups represented included Dignity Denver, an organization supporting gay Catholics, and El Futuro, which supports gay Latinos. One information booth provided literature about Colorado’s Referendum I, which seeks to give increased legal rights to same-sex couples. Condoms, lip balm and pamphlets were given out.

Dozens of stories and photographs of famous gays and lesbians throughout history surrounded one tent. Beneath the tent was a chalkboard for people to write their thoughts and opinions regarding the day’s events.

“This year we decided to honor GLBT heroes and ‘sheroes.’ It’s a chance for the GLBT community to be out and proud and loud and tells folks what’s going on,” said Nico Baker, director of GLBTSS. Baker graduated from Metro in 2004 and said he came back to get involved with the gay student community.

“I think we have a really amazing campus, and the atmosphere is very open and affirming,” he said.

Baker added that the office’s mission is to increase the visibility of the GLBT community. GLBTSS offers a wide range of services, including peer support and group programs.

It also helped to build the “safe zone” program, which allows a person to find a safe place to go if they feel they are being threatened because of their sexual orientation. GLBTSS is tri-institutional, meaning that it helps students from all three Auraria schools.

“Personally, my mission is to make people aware of the amount of gay people throughout history,” said Jordan Bair, the executive program coordinator of GLBTSS. “The focal point of today’s event is the tent surrounded by famous queers. We’re not a new phenomenon. Gay people have been around since the beginning of time.”

The Front Range Bears of Colorado were also present to support National Coming Out Day. The organization’s vice president, Juan Sanchez, is a former Metro student who came out 12 years ago while on campus. He said he was inspired by National Coming Out Day and now represents the GLBT community as a “bear.”

“The overall idea of the organization is for the hirsute and their admirers, so for the furry guys and for the guys who like furry guys,” Sanchez said. “A bear is somebody you usually look at as stockier or furrier.”