Julica Hermann, LBGT Resource Center’s assistant director, leads participants with this festive dance. It will be passed on year to year as a celebration.
Under an arch of balloons in every color of the rainbow, Mandi Rabe and Bridget Kelley, both sophomores, sat ready to answer questions and recruit potential members to the People Respecting Individuality of Students, or PRISM, on Tuesday at the MSU Union.
“We’re excited,” said Rabe, a political theory and constitutional democracy student. “It’s a great chance to let (the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender community) know about our group in particular.”
PRISM is the LBGT alliance for South Complex.
The pair was at the Union on Tuesday, along with more than 300 other campus, local and state organizations, to participate in the 2007 Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender and Ally Student Welcome Reception and Statewide Resource Fair.
“From what we’ve heard, a lot of people turn out for these things,” said Kelley, co-president of PRISM and a comparative cultures and politics and political theory and constitutional democracy student. “They’ll hopefully turn into members.”
Area organizations such as Edgewood United Christian Church and The Listening Ear also showcased their resources and support of LBGT people.
EVE Inc., a domestic violence shelter, took the opportunity to get information out about how to get personal protection orders and seek new volunteers, said Jillian Pastoor, the shelter’s community relations coordinator.
The shelter is making a special effort to focus on the LBGT population, she said.
“Sometimes the LBGT community is overlooked. It’s important to us to make sure our services are known,” Pastoor said. “Domestic violence happens in gay relationships, straight relationships, all kinds of relationships.”
The Lansing Area AIDS Network has been participating in the fair for more than 22 years, Development Director Patrick Lombardi said.
The fair gives the Lansing Area AIDS Network the opportunity to let the community know it exists, he said.
“It actually makes it very easy to set up a table and hit as many students as we possibly can,” he said. “We like people to know we’re there for them.”
The group also aims to get volunteers for the AIDS Walk Michigan on Sept. 30, Lombardi said.
“We’re always in need of volunteers,” he said.
In addition to the resource fair, the LBGT Resource Center awarded the winner of the 2007 PRIDE scholarship, MSU administrators made welcoming remarks and attendees viewed the 1995 film “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
