Events celebrate gay rights

Monday marked the 18th National Coming Out Day, commemorating the first march on Washington for gay rights. The GLBTI Council of Undergraduate Government of Boston College, and other groups are celebrating with a week of festivities marking the occasion.

Coming Out Week takes place from Oct. 11 to 18, with each day marking a new event. The week is an attempt to build support for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals around campus and to encourage students to see that their differences are hardly monumental.

"The reason we have it is for students to come together and identify with other students on campus. It's a week of celebration, togetherness, experiences, and trying to understand how the differences between all of us can help unite us as a student body," said Mike Yaksich, director of the GLBT Council and A&S, '05.

On Wednesday night, students gathered for a relaxed event in the Hillside Café titled "Opening Boston's Closet," where their peers shared their own stories of coming out or having a close friend or family member come out to them. As students came to the microphone to share their stories, the mood fluctuated between lighthearted and intensely personal.

A number of students spoke of a generation gap in values between themselves and their parents. John Hellman, A&S '07, spoke about a confrontation between himself and his mother on his homosexuality. "She was really pissed that she couldn't have grandchildren...It wasn't exactly the kind of support I had hoped for," he said.

For many of the students, their father was the most family member most critical of their sexuality. Christian Cho, CSOM '07, said he hails from a family where he always performed well in school and stayed out of trouble. Despite Cho's academic achievements, his brother, a high school dropout, became the family favorite after Cho came out of the closet.

"What [my father] said to me is something that will stay with me for my entire life," said Cho. "He said 'Your being gay is hurting me a thousand times more than [your brother] ever has.'"

Despite these difficulties, none of the speakers said they regretted coming out, and they all encouraged their peers to confront the issue with honesty.

Around campus Tuesday, some students could be seen wearing rainbow ribbons to show their support for gay rights. They were given in the basement of McElroy to passing students.

Jimmy Guzman, CSOM '07, thought up the ribbon giveaway and spent time organizing it. He said that while many people took the ribbons, some were afraid to wear them, and others simply seemed disgusted by the idea. "A lot of people have demonstrated their support by picking up ribbons, but there were certainly quite a number of people who gave the volunteers manning the tables disgusted looks," he said.

Boston College, it should be noted, has a history of perceived homophobia. Earlier this year, the school was No. 5 on The Princeton Review's list of schools where an "Alternative Lifestyle is not an Alternative." Many administrators and students have disputed the list and the accusations of homophobia (see "BC rated high on homophobia list," The Heights, Sept. 7).

Some students showed their support in other ways, including Chris Russo, A&S '05, who sported a "Gay? Fine by me" shirt. "I think the majority of the student body is very supportive and open minded," he said.

The events are co-sponsored by the GLBT Council, Allies, Faces, the Office of Residential Life, Women's Resource Center, and LGBC.