Coming Out Month will be celebrated at Saint Louis University this October with the help of Rainbow Alliance. The nationally recognized month-long observation and celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history holds much importance for many SLU students of all orientations.
“Coming Out month makes our presence known, and makes our organization more visible on campus. It’s much needed and it’s fun,” Rainbow Alliance Chair of Coming Out Month Scott Salomone said.
Rainbow Alliance has activities planned throughout the month to commemorate and educate students on present LGBT issues.
Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 will kick off the month’s festivities with Rainbow Alliance’s “Come Out and Play” event in the quad. The event will feature games and inflatables. Later that day, students may attend “Sharing Our Stories,” where all are encouraged to either share stories of finding their sexual identity or to listen to the stories of others.
“It’s not only about sharing coming out stories, it’s about knowing there’s support—and for many it’s just about being an ally,” Salomone stated.
On Oct. 20 Rainbow Alliance will host a coming out vigil. The group also will host a coming out discussion on Oct. 27 which will allow students to ask questions to a panel of individuals that represent various views on sexuality.
Nov. 12 is Rainbow Alliance’s largest event of the year, HomOcoming.
“Everyone is welcome, it’s basically a huge party where everyone can come and dance and have fun,” James Canfield, co-chair of HomOcoming Committee said. HomOcoming will be held in the new flag-topped Center for Global Citizenship.
The event will provide a safe environment for students of all orientations to come together and celebrate the end of Coming Out Month. “It provides a comfortable environment for all students, it’s just a good time where everyone can be themselves,” Canfield said.
The growth of Rainbow Alliance on SLU’s campus has been substantial over the past four years, and this year’s Coming Out Month activities will likely attract more participants than ever.
“Four years ago, a HomOcoming wouldn’t have even been possible. We went from having about 12 people at our meetings to having over 60. It really shows how things are moving along and more people are standing up for themselves and others,” Canfield said.
