On the afternoon of March 25, over a month's work came to fruition when students flooded Newton 204 to attend the program "Queer in the Community."
The well-attended event demonstrated many civil rights disparities between people who designate themselves as "queer" and people who are not part of the queer community. The program also provided information as to how heterosexual allies can help in diminishing the disparity in rights.
The program was completed through the endless efforts of junior Lindsey Wiltse and sophomore Adam Miller, both of Onondaga Hall, sophomores Christina Miller and Will Labate of Nassau Hall, and sophomore Kyle Rodrigues of Steuben Hall.
These students met weekly for over a month, working hard in order to bring Erik Libey from AIDS Rochester and Jess Cohen from Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley to campus to give a presentation. The students' work included contacting the presenters, creating a brief overview of issues for those not already in the know and building a framework for the presenters, which emphasized civil disparities.
Approximately 70 people were in attendance, and the audience participated in the discussion enthusiastically. It should be noted that while the term "queer" can often be offensive, the organizers of this event felt it appropriate to use the term in place of a long abbreviation of orientations, as they identify themselves using the term.
For a well-made program, with perceptible impact, the organizers certainly deserve a hand.