Coming Out Week kicks off

FIERCE: The crowd goes wild as senior Alex Suvall dances to “Single Ladies” for the talent portion of the pageant in 2009. File Photo

SpectrUM’s annual Coming Out Week, affectionately known by members as COW, will have events this week to promote education and pride on campus.

“COW is significant because it is an outlet for students to see the diversity shown on campus,” said Jared Payne, the Student Government senator for SpectrUM.  “And it highlights gay culture and the problems that the gay community faces in today’s society.”

Over the past week, SpectrUM members have been spotted in the UC Breezeway and on the Rock handing out flyers while dressed up in a cow suit.

“COW is a great way of connecting UM students with the LGBT world while advocating for tolerance and diversity in a fun and dynamic way, which is what SpectrUM is all about,” SpectrUM member Shelby Juarez said.

This year’s main COW events will be on Monday and Tuesday nights.

The event on Monday night will be a presentation by Shelley Freeman, the regional president for community banking in Florida for Wells Fargo. By bringing Freeman to campus, SpectrUM hopes to promote discussion about sexuality in the workplace.

Tuesday’s event will be a Drag Pageant, a night of “fashion, snow cones, raffles and more.”

Students dressed in drag will get the opportunity to compete in the pageant.

SpectrUM member Andrea Venkatesan is excited about the opportunities these events have created.

“It gives the underground community a segue into mainstream,” Venkatesan said. “It’s a great bridge between people who are already out and those who aren’t.”

 

Upcoming Events:

Shelley Freeman

Where: Stanford Faculty Master’s Apartment

When: Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Drag Pageant

Where: UC Patio

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday