A black doorway covered with rainbow flags and handwritten notes of positivity stood in the middle of the quad on Oct. 11, cheering on LGBTQ individuals to literally “come out of the closet” and celebrate their identities as part of National Coming Out Day.
The quad event is put on annually by AU Queers and Allies and has been encouraging members of the LGBTQ community to take pride in their identities for years, according to AU Queers and Allies executive director Mel Keller.
“Coming Out on the Quad serves as a reminder to the AU community that we’re still here, still queer, and damn proud of it,” Lee Clyne, a member of the AU Queers and Allies executive board and a participant in the event said. “It’s always really important to understand that ‘coming out’ is a privilege that not everyone has.”
The atmosphere of the event was welcoming as members of AU Queers and Allies encouraged passers-by to take pictures with the door wearing rainbow sashes, or sit in the grass with rainbow flags. People could also write their own messages of encouragement to others on post-it notes and stick them to the doorframe.
Keller added that the event was also working to inform people of on-campus resources for the LGBTQ community, including upcoming AU Queers and Allies events such as Queer Halloween on Oct. 24.
