‘Gay? Fine By Me’ Rally Sparks Awareness
Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Reported by Jake Weber, photos by Morris Arvoy

A grassroots student campaign to increase support and acceptance of sexual orientation issues in Albion culminated in a gathering on the steps of Albion College’s Kresge Gymnasium on Tuesday, April 25. Organizers of the “Gay? Fine by Me” campaign were pleased by the show of supporters who turned out at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the west end of the College’s Quadrangle.

Members of Break the Silence (BTS), Albion College’s gay-straight student alliance, have spent much of the year raising support. Over 50 student organizations signed up to sponsor the campaign and invited representatives from BTS to speak to them about what it is like to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or tansgendered (LGBT) on campus. These organizations pledged over $4,200 to purchase the 600 t-shirts that were distributed earlier this month.

Benton Harbor senior Eric Krieger, one of the organizers for the campaign, said, “We set a goal of 500 shirts because that’s a quarter of the student body. If you can get 25 percent of the students on campus to do anything on a given day, I’d say you’ve made an impact.”

The “Gay? Fine By Me” campaign strives to end the stigma and violence often experienced by LGBT individuals. “The goal of the campaign is to affirm that Albion is an accepting place. The rally was a chance for people who might not otherwise be a direct part of the campaign, to stand up and show their support,” said Krieger. “There is a real need to build relationships and to break down stereotypes on campus. We know that most students are supportive and the overwhelming demand for the shirts proves this.”