It seems there is a week or month for everything. There is Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Disability History Week — times for everyone to show their pride and express who they are.

It also gives people of all ages, races and religions a chance to educate the general public about what they stand for.

However, the question remains if a time limit can be placed on acceptance.

Instead of only accepting minority groups during a designated time, every day and every month of every year should be used to bridge the gap between different people. The question is, how?

To fully accept and understand minority groups, such as LBGT, we can’t ban them from the liberties the average Joe gets.

Solutions to issues of discrimination can begin on campus. MSU already has made progress by acknowledging housing issues for transgender students. Still, the Other Eligible Individual program that provides benefits to MSU faculty members who are part of a same-sex couple is not the same as that which gives benefits to a faculty member who is part of a heterosexual marriage.

These programs could stand to be equal and undifferentiated. By making same-sex benefits the same as benefits for heterosexual faculty members, MSU would show it is a university that is striving for equality. The strides need to go beyond the student body and into the realm of faculty and staff if we are to make progress as a unit.

Although Pride Week may help with misunderstandings, when it is all over people still will discriminate against same-sex couples. It needs to be an effort that spans across time, not just one week.

With today’s progressive, look-to-the-future attitude, we must ask ourselves if this sort of discrimination is warranted.

Pride Week is meant to spread knowledge about the LBGT community because people still have prejudice against them.

After Pride Week, will the general public resort back to pointing and laughing?

In some instances they might. Some people still carry a phobia of anyone who might be different from them, not limited to only the LBGT community but any minority here at MSU.

Instead of Pride Week, we should have Pride Year. While we’re at it, we should expand Pride Week to all minorities or anyone that feels a little different than the “norm.”

The less fear and misunderstanding there is about groups like LBGT the more communal we will feel. Let’s not let things like Pride Week become just another novelty with some fun activities in the spring.

Let’s band together and break down the stereotypes of not only the LBGT community, but members of every community across campus.