October is the official LGBT History Month, and after celebrating National Coming Out Day during Homecoming weekend, Ohio University’s LGBT Center isn’t done hosting events this semester.
Every Friday around 2 p.m., the LGBT Center hosts a Crafternoon where people in the Athens community are welcome to drop by and make some crafts such as bath bombs, glitter jars and friendship bracelets.
Each week, the Speak-Out program is hosted by senior plant biology major Aspen Wilson. It is a program that features a panel of LGBTQ students, faculty, allies and community members who are all willing to talk about their experiences and answer questions.
“It’s an open space as we welcome everyone,” Wilson said. “What matters is that people who come in are respectful and if they don’t know something they’re willing to learn.”
To promote a healthy learning atmosphere, the LGBT Center hosts watch parties for different television shows twice a week with an open discussion afterward. Titled “Transgressive TV,” the discussions usually focus on themes such as race, gender and sexuality in the show.
delfin bautista, director of the LGBT Center, said the center has a welcoming environment and is considered a safe zone. bautista wants the LGBT Center to be a place of support for anyone who feels like they may be alone, including bisexuals.
“We need to be more open and comfortable talking about bisexuality,” bautista said. “There’s a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to discriminating against bisexuals, rather than listening to what they say and what they believe in.”
For those who enjoy reading, there is a weekly book club discussion that is a part of Rainbow Reads, where the book currently being discussed is “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker.
People who stop by the center will find that there is an LGBT library where people can check out books ranging from nonfiction essays and erotica to detective novels, proving there is something for everyone.
For more information about OHIO’s LGBT Center, including this week’s events, visit www.ohio.edu/lgbt.
* delfin identifies as trans and two-spirits and requests lowercase letters and the pronoun "they" instead of the traditional "he" or "she."