On Wednesday, several MSU conservative political groups will have a chance to make an announcement - they are proud of their political affiliation.
The opportunity is part of the first-ever National Conservative Coming Out Day, an event aimed at raising awareness about the conservative presence on college campuses.
At MSU, informational tables and a mock closet for participants to come out of will be set up at the Brody Complex and Bessey Hall, as well as a possible location on East campus, political science and pre-law senior Luke Pelican said.
"The purpose of this day isn't to go after anyone or have an aggressive agenda," Pelican said. "This is a small step for allowing equal expression of opinions and beliefs."
MSU College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom coordinated the effort and will be at the tables handing out information and recruiting members.
The Leadership Institute's Campus Leadership Program, an Arlington, Va.-based educational foundation that recruits, trains and places young conservatives around the country in public policy processes, adapted the idea from past events and worked to make it occur nationally one day out of the year.
Thirty groups across the country will be involved, said Allison Kasic, campus services coordinator for the Leadership Institute.
"It's a tongue-in-cheek way of letting conservative students be heard," Kasic said. "There is that push for tolerance and diversity that you see on campuses a lot. It's a satirical way to do it."
Advertising senior Kelli Morton said the idea of the event should attract conservatives because of the nature of political affiliations on campus.
"It's probably huge for a college campus because around here it seems liberal," Morton said. "I wouldn't be opposed to attending, but I know I won't."
Conservative students at the University of Michigan will participate by getting their picture taken with a sign reading, "I came out," which will be posted online, said U-M senior Matthew Gage.
Nathan Triplett, chairman of the progressive caucus for the MSU College Democrats, said the organization isn't planning its own coming-out event but they will remain active that day.
"They will come out on Wednesday and we will go door-to-door doing voter registration - that is how the process works," he said.
"We both share our beliefs and let students decide who they want to believe and belong to."
Justine Ivanoff, a political theory and constitutional democracy senior and MSU College Republicans chairperson, said although this is not an election year, political presence on campus is important.
"We have the 2006 elections coming up - we need to get into the governor and the senator offices," she said. "Through the students' passion for politics, we will achieve that."
Pelican said the conservative community is a minority, but he hoped their message reaches members of all political parties.
"Everyone has the right to express their opinions and not to be ridiculed for it," he said. "Anyone, conservative or liberal, libertarian or Green Party, should never have to suffer for their political beliefs."
