The Rainbow Alliance plans to hold two demonstrations this week in order to attract attention and support for its members today. Members of the organization will gather with others around the Clock Tower at 10:30 a.m. today in a “loud” demonstration of support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and people questioning their sexuality, said junior Jeff Ajanee, vice president of operations for the Alliance.

The event is meant to contrast the “solemn demonstration” that the group held at the same time and place Thursday, April 24, said Justin Gimotea, president of Rainbow Alliance.

At that event, despite spurts of light rain showers, Alliance members stood together and held posters with messages intended to support “the continuing violence, harassment and injustice that GLBTQA students face,” Gimotea said.

“We really want to impact people on campus,” said Margaret Murphy, the Rainbow Alliance’s vice president of public relations. “We want [those questioning their sexuality] to be able to dress the way they want to or hold hands with their partners.”

“Everyday life is still filled with a lot of negative experiences and injustice [for GLBTQA people] . but there’s still a lot of beauty and dignity in the fact that a lot of us have come out,” Gimotea said.

Ajanee emphasized that Rainbow Alliance isn’t open only to students questioning their sexuality.

“We are a support group, but that’s [only] one of our functions,” he said. “We are also an activist organization . If we can help the people who leave this campus [after graduating] to be more open-minded [through our demonstrations], then the job we’ve done has reached way beyond the University.”

Gimotea said he has had to repost some of the group’s signs that had been taken down or knocked over.

“We do these kinds of things knowing that these issues resonate very deeply with people, whether they support what we do or are against it,” he said. “As long as we can create an open dialogue [about GLBTQA issues], then we’re supporting our mission.”