One Love - Show the Love, Stop the Hate!	«« back
	by MONA WHITE (Staff Writer)	December 2010

The clock tower chimes twelve times and a lone door stands tall in the sunlight in the middle of the quad. Three passersby are puzzled at the sight and advance for a closer inspection. The only identifying mark is a sticker that says One Love, LGBT Club (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Trans-Gender). Not comprehending the importance of Oct. 11, the three students opened the door and went through.

Fifteen minutes later Edward Okuda, Secretary of CSN’s One Love Club, arrives on the scene. Jon Paya, one of the three who went through the door, asks Okuda, “Is it bad that I went in, then out?” The growing crowd good-heartedly laughs at the ironic pun. Okuda explained to Paya, the door symbolizes the LGBT journey of “coming out of the closet.” When asked about his thoughts on the subject, Paya said with conviction, “It should be an American right!” He continues to say that “Just so long as homosexuals don’t get in my face and push their beliefs on me,” that he supports them.

National Coming Out Day
Fast-forward to half-past noon, “We are One Love, your LGBT club on campus. Show the Love and Stop the Hate! Come sign our door,” announces Abriana Foster. Que the music, “I’m Coming Out!” by Diana Ross, rang out over the speakers. This was followed by YMCA, by Theh Village People, to which Foster mimicked the actions. Foster is the Vice-President of One Love, the LGBT club located at the CSN Charleston Campus. The club was celebrating National Coming Out Day. NCOD has been internationally observed since 1988, on Oct. 11th, to commemorate the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It promotes awareness about lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. It is observed by members of the LGBT communities and their supporters (friends and family) referred to as “allies”.

Allies
One o’clock, the tower chimes, and out of the growing crowd “Team Justin” appears. Professors and friends of Justin Noel Lee Gomez came out to support his decision to be “out, gay and proud.” James McCoy, a professor at CSN, who attended the event and commended Gomez, stated, “I wholeheartedly support One Love and all of their efforts at CSN and in the community!”

CSN Professor, Jennifer Basquiat, was also present. “As a straight person, I believe silence is deadly,” she expressed passionately. “It is not enough to just speak about equality, but live equality!”

Stop The Hate!
Equality is not yet a reality for the LGBT community. Until he moved to Las Vegas with his sister, Gomez couldn’t come out because in his home country of Belize it is illegal to be gay. “I was not at peace with myself… not content.” To avoid being found out, Gomez had girlfriends in an attempt to conform and alleviate pressure. “I couldn’t talk to anyone because there was literally no safe place.”

A four-year-old Justin Gomez was attending school in Belize, when his friend’s father came to school and “lifted the 12-year-old upside down in the air and beat him bloody,” in front of students and teachers and no one did anything about it. Why? The boy had been caught peeping at men in a bathhouse and since it is illegal to be gay, it is socially unconscionable to portray those characteristics. “I will never forget seeing that and it is the reason I didn’t tell anyone I was gay until I moved from Belize to Las Vegas.”

One Love’s NCOD celebration and their club creates that safe place where LGBT students “can come out in a safe space to be themselves and be liberated from that prison,” explains One Love’s President Aidan Avery. In order to provide that safe place and a sense of community, One Love orchestrated awhole week filled with events to create a sense of community and belonging for its members. In addition to celebrating National Coming Out Day, they held two other events and observed a third.

One Love in the City
“Who designed the wedding dress and gifted it to Carrie Bradshaw to wear for her wedding?” asked Dustin Rains who hosted the One Love in the City event. Manolos, Martinis and Manhattan girls was just part of the excitement at the screening for Sex in the City on Wed., Oct. 13th. It was an evening of fun, fashion and frolic as One Love members enjoyed appetizers and played Sex in the City trivia to win cool Coyote gifts. Watching Sex in the City and seeing Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte on the screen was a good bonding night for all. Btw…. the answer is Vivienne Westwood.

Love Revolution – The Concert
“Be a part of the Love Revolution!” This statement along with “Stop the Hate, Show the Love!” could be heard in between songs at the Love Revolution Concert, on Thurs., Oct. 14th. Foster “provided CSN with an awesome performance,” as she belted out the lyrics to a song by Black Rose Drive. One love topped off the week with an afternoon concert in the quad. There was free music, entertainment, hots dogs, popcorn and soda. Foster also reported that “the stonewall Democrats came out to speak as well as Capitol Club and Sodexo sponsored the food. Okuda declared it was a great afternoon of music and acceptance.

Spirit Day
T he final observed day for the LGBT community was on Oct. 20th, Spirit Day. This is the day LGBT members and allies wear purple to show their support for the teens and any fallen LGBT who took their lives or were bashed or murdered because of anti-LGBT bullying and bashing. Foster stated, “NCOD is very important to me because I am currently making the transition into being a lesbian. Recently many members of the LGBT community have taken their lives and for this, One Love felt the need to show our community that they are loved and valued.” Foster continues, “It should not matter what your sexual orientation is… all that should matter is that you give back to the community and that you maintain the utmost integrity while doing so.”

Show the Love!
Owen Pillion, One Love’s Advisor, expounded on Foster’s thoughts. “LGBT is not large enough to affect change without allies. Together we can stop the pain before it is inflicted. The CSN LGBT community can be liberated from that prison.” Pillion further explained that LGBT citizens have a “lifetime of coming out,” when making new friends, at a new job, etc. That is part of the reason One Love chose to celebrate NCOD week publicly on campus.

The week’s events helped to welcome the One Love Club and all LGBT citizens at CSN. It also broke through the barriers and opened up the conversation in a safe environment. “There was such an amazing energy during the events One Love sponsored during NCOD. Having an organization like One Love on campus helps spread the word about equal rights, LGBT perspectives, & tolerance,” confirmed McCoy. “The events were inspiring for so many people around our community. One Love is a welcomed addition to our college and our community.”

          »» Back To Top