Inaugural UNO Pride Week success for GSO agency

Last week, one UNO organization strove to reach out to students, faculty and staff about sexual, religious and racial issues, as well as carry out the message of understanding and tolerance for all types of people.The Gender and Sexual Orientation student agency, or GSO, hosted UNO's first Pride Week March 30 through April 2. GSO hosted a week full of education, inspiration and fun activities to show support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersexed (LGBTQI) community. Supporters included Multicultural Affairs, Inter-Tribal Agency, College Democrats and Safe Space Ally Training.

The week's events kicked off with a pride rally on March 30. Panel discussions were also held throughout the week on topics like racism, homophobia, religion and the LGBTQI community. Comedian Charlie Ballard also made an appearance.

GSO director and UNO graduate student Ejay Jack was satisfied with how the week went.

"Myself and the GSO advisory board, made up of a diverse group of eight people, decided to work on celebrating diversity," Jack said. "We, GSO, are interested in working with other diverse groups on campus and dialoguing about cross-sectional oppression that faces all of us."

GSO advisory board member Caitie Wegener, along with Jack and other GSO members, helped organize the activities.

"We wanted to invite people to come learn about gay, lesbian and transgendered history and have a good time," Wegener said.

In addition, the week included film screenings about gay marriage, fighting AIDS and LGBTQI history.

Movies included "Screaming Queens" and "Fight Back, Fight AIDS: 15 Years of ACT UP," a well-known documentary about AIDS and HIV activism by James Wentzy.

"The last movie we showed, which was my favorite, was 'Screaming Queens,'" Wegener said. "It was about the first historical uprising and Stonewall actually came three years later. A lot of people don't know about that, even in the gay community."

Jack said that the group's main purpose for Pride Week was to get students, faculty and staff to come together and grow.

"It is also important to get the message out that GSO is a resource for everyone at UNO and build community," Jack said.

While it's still a new organization on campus, GSO hopes to continue hosting events that get the Omaha and UNO community involved.

"I think it has been going well," Jack said. "We are learning our lessons as a young agency in respect to providing the necessary and desired programming to the UNO campus; in addition learning logistical lessons like timing and location for programs."

GSO will be partaking in the National Day of Silence on April 17. The event is to bring attention to anti-LGBT harassment, bullying and name-calling. Members will hold a candlelight vigil on the Dodge Street overpass just east of campus from 4 to 5 p.m.