The Stonewall Tigers Gender and Sexuality Alliance at the University of Memphis is dedicating a week to members of the LGBTQ+ community from April 9 through April 13.
Stonewall Tigers is an organization that aims to create a safe space for students and staff on campus while promoting LGBTQ+ education, safe sex education and activism education.
The first event of the week is “Tie Dye-versity” and will be April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the University Center Lawn.
Kayla Turner, a junior Committee Liaison for Stonewall Tigers, said “Tie Dye-versity” represents what everyone’s personal Tiger pride color is to them. There will be shirts available for people to tie-dye.
Transgender activist Geena Rocero will be giving a talk in the UC Beale Room at 6 p.m. April 10, and on April 11 there will be a “Student to Student: Safe Zone Training” at 3 p.m. also in the UC Beale Room.
“The Safe Zone Training is basically teaching people how to be a better ally,” Turner said. “Previously it’s been a training for faculty members, but this one is going to be geared towards students, so it’s more of a peer interaction.”
The “Coming Out Monologues” will be on April 12 at 7 p.m. in the UC Fountain View Room.
“It’s kind of like the Vagina Monologues,” Turner said. “It’s basically people’s coming out stories, not just as gay, but the various forms there are of coming out.”
Turner said this is more of the artsy part of the week, where people can perform poems, skits or anything else they would like to do to express themselves.
The last event of the week is the “Tri-gay Extravaganza,” which will be in the UC Fountain View Room at 5:30 p.m. April 13.
“The Tri-gay event is where U of M, Christian Brothers University and Rhodes all come together, and we have a big end of the week celebration,” Turner said.
Turner said this upcoming week is a celebration, and she is hopeful good things will come out of it, including possibly expanding the knowledge of people who aren’t a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I think through our events like the safety training and the monologues, people may get a perspective of this community that they don’t usually see,” Turner said. “And it’s in a safer space where they can ask questions and have those conversations that might be a little more uncomfortable for them in other places.”
Josh Bagoyado, a freshman committee member of Stonewall Tigers, said he hopes the LGBTQ+ week raises visibility to the students at U of M.
“I don’t know how eye- opening this will be for the school,” Bagoyado said. “But I am sure am hoping it is.”
Bagoyado said he is excited to see what LGBTQ+ week brings to the U of M campus and how it affects people involved.
“We will be out here doing stuff almost every day next week,” Bagoyado said. “Hopefully, some of our stuff, like when we are tie-dyeing t-shirts, will attract some attention and maybe even start a conversation.”
