Coming Out Day finishes Pride Week

The GLBTA celebrated National Coming Out Day on Glenn Terrell Mall as part of Pride Week.

Janel Brown – The Daily Evergreen

National Coming Out Day holds special meaning for Erin King.

King, who considers herself an “honorary queer,” works with the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community on campus. And it won’t be her first year “coming out” to support her cause.

King is the programming chairwoman for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies program this year. She has been involved with the club since the fall of 2007, when she was a freshman.

“I was in A.P. Civics in high school, and I couldn’t find a reason why anyone should be treated different,” she said.

On Friday, GLBTA celebrated National Coming Out Day on the Glenn Terrell Mall as part of Pride Week.

The group put up a decorated door for people to come out through.

Because Pride Week was the same week as Homecoming, National Coming Out Day was celebrated at the same time as the Homecoming street fair as part of the 7 Dynamite Centers team.

The team, which includes multicultural RSOs, hosted dancing and games, including the Electric Slide and musical chairs. They placed fourth overall, SEB Director Renae Dahlquist said.

“On terms of the mall, we felt a little overshadowed (by Homecoming) because of all the stuff going on,” King said. “Usually, you can see our door because it stands out. But the DJ playing music would talk about our door, and bring people over and it evened out. If it wasn’t for the DJ, we would have gotten overshadowed.” King said that while she was there, a variety of students came out through the door, and were excited to receive a Hawaiian lei because of it.

“Most people I knew that came out were either students who just wanted to walk through the door and get leid, cause who doesn’t wanna get leid,” she said. “Others were already out to their family and friends, but not to the public, so they walked through the door and were like ‘Hey, I’m out.’ It’s a nice feeling.” King and other members of the GLBT community decorated shirts on Wednesday to wear during the Friday events. King’s shirt said “LGBTerrific.” The group also has pins bearing the phrase.

“I had bought a shirt online like it, and they got the sizing wrong and were having problems with shipping, so I got frustrated and made my own,” King said.