Were you bothered by the booing that has been discussed in this paper and happened at the performance of "Sex on a Saturday Night?" Do you feel uncomfortable when people around you use the words "fag" and "gay" in a demeaning manner? Do you want to support the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community on this campus? There is actually a word for you — Ally. An Ally of the LGBT community is someone who sides with those who are targeted in cases of homophobia and will speak out against homophobia and in support of those who are silenced by it.
Today the Pride Alliance will be giving away 1,000 "gay? fine by me" T-shirts so that you can show your support for the LGBT community. This campaign against homophobia was started at Duke and came to Princeton three years ago. We ask that you wear your shirt on Wednesday — Gay Jeans Day — and come to the Coming Out Day Rally in front of Frist Campus Center.
In 1989 the Pride Alliance (then called GALAP: the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Princeton), a relatively unknown student organization on campus, held the first Gay Jeans Day with substantial support from the Office of Religious Life. The concept was remarkably simple: "Wear jeans if you are gay or if you support gay people's right to exist." Sadly, on the first Gay Jeans Days, lots of people who normally wore jeans wore khaki shorts instead. The event succeeded in calling attention to the invisible gay community on campus, however, and continued to be held every year and for the first five years, with substantial controversy.
For the past several years, Gay Jeans Day has fallen off the map because it wasn't well-advertised. Even if it were well-advertised, however, its impact would likely be substantially less because the Pride Alliance fortunately no longer needs to fight for its right to exist. Though the climate on campus has greatly improved, it is still not ideal. There are still homophobic incidents such as the booing at "Sex on a Saturday Night," incidents of harassment and many people on this campus who do not feel comfortable being out. Gay Jeans Day has evolved from a day of simply bringing attention to the hidden community to being part of a week designed to bringing understanding and acceptance, not just tolerance.
When you wear your "gay? fine by me" shirt, you will be a walking symbol of Princeton's commitment to a community of respect. You will let your closeted and open friends, classmates, teammates, coworkers, instructors and professors know that you will accept them for who they are and not in spite of their sexuality but regardless of it. When you receive your shirt, we will also ask that you write "ALLY" on a small pink square of poster board and hang the sign in your window to let all of campus know of your acceptance. Though the shirt and the poster are remarkably simple things, the impact that they can have is incredible. For someone who is struggling with their sexuality and feeling alone, just seeing how supportive this community is can give the person the strength to come out.
This year's Awareness Week also marks the long awaited opening of the LGBT Center in Frist. First brought to the administration's attention in 1989 in the Wartenburg Report — a product of the Ad Hoc Committee on Gay and Lesbian Needs and Concerns which was an advisory committee to former President Harold Shapiro — the opening is the culmination of the hard work of numerous staff, faculty, students and alumni over the years. Though the LGBT Coordinator Position can be traced back to the Office of Religious Life in 1989, the opening of the Center stands as a clear sign of the administration's commitment to making Princeton the safest and most welcoming campus it can be. Come to the Center Grand Opening on Thursday, 4-6 p.m. or to the after-party on the top floor of New South 11 p.m.- 2 a.m. to celebrate and show your support. This week is Awareness Week at Princeton. Thomas Lipp '08 is a junior from New Haven, Conn., and is co-vice president of the Pride Alliance. He may be reached at tlipp@princeton.edu.
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