Coming Out Week represents pride, diversity

Wilde-Stein offers UMaine students a chance to accept themselves, others

By Jason Houle

Posted on Oct. 21, 2002, at 12:00 a.m.

Last week was a time when students at the university were encouraged to be themselves, accept others, and most importantly, celebrate diversity.

The week, known as Coming Out Week, is sponsored by Wilde-Stein, UMaine’s alliance for sexual diversity. The weeklong event is held to commemorate National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.

During the week, the group sponsored events including a brown bag discussion series, Transgender 101 Workshop, led by Jean Vermette of Maine Gender Resource and Support Services, and a lecture and performance by nationally acclaimed public speaker and musician Skott Freedman.

The events of the week held common themes – that of acceptance, education, diversity and pride – which, according to Wilde-Stein members are very important aspects of Coming Out Week.

“Come Out Week is a celebration of the idea that people in the ‘queer’ comunity no longer need to hide themselves. They are free to express to everyone the people they love,” Nicholas Blais, vice president of Wilde-Stein, said. “[It] means different things to people. To some it may show a strong supportive atmophere to which people are accepting. Others, who have been out for some time, see this as a time that people are freer to be themselves, it also shows pride in who they are.”

“For new students, it’s often their first opportunity to realize that there is an alliance for sexual diversity on campus,” secretary Joy Sinclair added.

Despite last minute cancellations and advertising difficulties deemed out of their control, the group considered the week to be a success and now are looking ahead to Pride Week, to be held in April. Wilde-Stein members consider these events in the fall and spring their chance to let people know what they are about, and that they do in fact exist.

“We pretty much only have two weeks in the year where we can be like ‘Hello, we’re on campus,’” Sinclair said.

Wilde-Stein, established in 1973 in response to homophobia and hate crimes against students, gets its name from Oscar Wilde and Gertrude Stein, two openly gay people who have been prominent in the fields of literature and politics.

The group, which is the oldest of it’s kind in the state, focuses mainly on issues on campus involving gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. Contrary to popular belief, the group is open to heterosexuals and currently has several heterosexuals enrolled as members. Such actions prove acceptance is at the top of their agenda.

“It’s a mind-broadening experience. The more educated you are the less likely you are to judge or make immediate prejudices,” Sinclair said. “A lot of people who do accept it are scared – they’re afraid of what people will think of them.”

Wilde-Stein meet every Thursday in the Coe Lounge at Memorial Union from 7-9 p.m. For more information visit www.umaine.edu/~wstein.

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