Today is Tufts' Coming Out Day. The day is an important one, not only for Tufts' LGBTQ community, but also for straight students and faculty.
There will likely be a nice-sized crowd on the Lower Campus Center Patio today at noon. Gay and transgender students and faculty will gather in the comfort of one another's presence.
However, Coming Out Day is not just about the LGBTQ community. It also serves as a great way to increase communication about sexuality on campus. Even those students and faculty who do not participate in today's activities will see and hear them and thus be exposed to issues about sexuality they may not consider on a daily basis.
One of today's op-eds, submitted by junior Sofia Nelson, mentions that straight people come out all the time when they talk about their girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands or wives. This concept might be difficult for straight people to grasp: If a guy mentions he is taking his girlfriend to a movie, he is probably not thinking that he is also affirming that he is straight. For the straight guy, coming out is not an issue.
The key lesson straight students and faculty should take away from Coming Out Day, even if they do not attend the activities during open block, is that what comes naturally to them may be a huge hurdle for their gay peers to overcome.
Nelson's op-ed also notes that Coming Out Day is mostly about identity on a personal level, about letting gay students feel comfortable enough to openly express their sexuality.
Many students and faculty, however, will not participate in the day's activities. Although Tufts is considered a tolerant school and was ranked one of the top 20 gay-friendly schools by "The Advocate" magazine's guide for LGBT college students, there is still room for greater awareness of sexual differences.
However, to really increase awareness of the gay community on campus, events must take place to encourage exploration of the campus identity with regards to sexual differences.
The Queer-Straight Alliance and LGBT Center are the principal channels through which such exploration on campus occurs, and the Daily supports these groups' efforts in sponsoring Coming Out Day.
We would also like to take the opportunity to emphasize the fact that the invitation to attend Coming Out Day and all other Queer-Straight Alliance/LGBT Center events is open to all Jumbos, not just members of those particular organizations.
The fact that an event like Coming Out Day exists at all is a step in the right direction for acceptance of the queer community, but the potential of such a celebration to increase mutual tolerance and understanding on this campus will only truly be realized if the entire community participates.
