Post Classifieds
LGBTQ looking for allies
By Jennifer Waters
On October 10, 2012
Members of the Buffalo State Pride Alliance are celebrating Coming Out Week in color with
their "Out and Ally Photo Project 2012."
"We're really trying to bring out the student body with our events this year," said Pride Alliance
President Shakora Purks. "We tend to be isolated by students on campus and have a hard time
reaching the straight community."
Purks said the week of events, including a pajama party Monday and a potluck on Friday, are
the first steps the group is taking this semester.
After the group's short-lived victory for attention last year that ended with permission to raise
the Pride Flag on campus, Purks said he wants the Alliance to work its way back to that level of
visibility.
"It only lasted three weeks instead of the month we were supposed to get," he said.
The efforts were well-received by the campus and student community, until the SUNY
Chancellor found out about the school flag being replaced and made the school take it down.
"According to their regulations, it's illegal to take down any of the three flags in the quad. We
would have to build another pole to display our flag again," Purks said.
Until recently, the group said they did not have any form of offensive resistance from the student
community.
Melissa Ruiz, Pride Alliance PR representative, said she feels the majority of the issues are
brought on by freshmen whom are adjusting to the college environment.
"A lot of freshmen come here with the mentality that it's wrong to be gay. Some may have strict
religious beliefs and some may have been raised thinking it's not an appropriate lifestyle," Ruiz
said.
Purks said the main concern for the group stems from recent presence of the use of gay-
bashing slurs directly attacking members of the LGBTQ community.
As a way to bring awareness to the LGBTQ Community on campus and to help draw out
supporters and allies in a way that allows them to feel comfortable and unguarded, the "Out
and Ally Photo Project 2012" will take place from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday in the Union Quad,
weather permitting. The event will be moved to the Bulger lobby in the case of inclement
weather.
The purpose of Coming Out Week and the photo project is to help raise awareness of LGBT
issues while promoting positive relationships.
All participants have to do is show up on the day of the project, take a picture and sign the
pledge. There will also be a small video project to both document the event and help people
share their stories.
Last year there were roughly 250 people who came out to pledge and Purks said he is hoping
there are at least as many supporters this year.
He said he wants people to know that anyone can be an ally regardless of their sexual
orientation. The group's expressed purpose in holding the project is to make people comfortable
with identifying themselves as an ally living outside the box of conventional relationships.
There will be an anti-bullying workshop held from 7 to 9 p.m. today in Bulger 2E along with the
Rochester Victory Alliance addressing also HIV vaccines within the community.
Later in the semester will be the Pride Alliance's popular Drag show, which Purks said is a
great way to bring awareness to the group and their efforts, usually drawing out around 500
supporters.
"Our drag show is a walking, talking example of 100 percent support from the community," he
said.
Purks, Ruiz and Treasurer Nickey Sereluca said they think issues such as derogatory slurs,
students isolating others and direct gay-bashing diminish as students adjust to being in a more
mature environment and become more worldly.
Jennifer Waters can be reached by email at waters.record@live.com.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Record News Articles
'Injustice' is a fighting delight
In the spring of 2011, the award-winning NetherRealm Game Studios established itself as a heavyweight in the fighting genre of the ...
NASO engages college community in cultural comeback
The Native American Student Organization explored oral history, cultural identity and other topics in a speaker series entitled ...
THE RECORD TURNS 100: Animal Kingdom - April 8, 1970
In celebration of 100 years of service to Buffalo State, The Record will re-print one former article in each of its 10 issues this ...
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE RECORD NEWS
- We've Moved to www.buffstaterecord.com!
- Obama divulges new higher education initiative during visit to UB
- Ailing Podolefsky steps down as president
- SUNY appoints Cohen interim president
- President Podolefsky announces leave to fight cancer
- Rappers put Pepsi in a bind
- Congrats to grads: take next step with gratitude
RECENT THE RECORD CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
- Your Child’s Tomorrow Begins Today
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
- BookTrib’s Bites: Four Reads to Kickoff Spring
- Curbing Colorectal Cancer in Minority Populations
- Taking Action to Take Down Tobacco
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE
