The rainbow flag, representative of LGBTQA pride, seems to be everywhere — on pins, car stickers, mugs, actual flags flying on homes — as more and more people take ownership and pride of their LGBTQA identity or simply support those who do.
But for every person, home or car bearing the pride flag, there are likely many others too unsure, scared or timid to make the same gesture.
Oct. 11 marks National Coming Out Day, a national day celebrating those who have come out as a member of the LGBTQA community or as an ally of the community. According to the Human Rights Campaign, one of every two Americans knows or has someone close to them who identifies as LGBTQA.
The University of Idaho not only recognizes the national day, but celebrates it on campus with the National Coming Out Carnival from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Idaho Student Union Building Plaza.
While there is always more any university or community could do to better support minority groups, such as the LGBTQA community, students bear an equal burden in shaping an inclusive, welcoming environment.
UI provides a number of resources, both online and in tangible spaces, for students who seek them out, from identified safe spaces on campus to online guides and programs.
The political climate the past several years has been less than supportive of minority groups. The administration has challenged legal protections for LGBTQA people, pushed to build a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico and has continually created a culture of fear. While in Moscow, Idaho, the events and conversations that contribute to this culture of fear may feel far away, the consequences spread far and wide. As much as it may feel like it, UI does not exist in a bubble.
Students on UI’s campus cannot slow down or stop the conversations taking place in Washington D.C. The university can provide all the resources in the world and hold all the events a calendar can hold, but if students do not take advantage, do not show up and do not stand up for people within their community, the larger pieces may never make a difference.
It is on each and every student to show support and create a safe environment for everyone — not just the higher ups within the university.
It may not feel like much, showing up to the Coming Out Carnival Oct. 11 or wearing a LGBTQA ally pin, but each symbol of support pushes the campus community one step closer to becoming a fully inclusive and supportive community.
— Editorial Board