“We are queer, and we walk among you.” The message to the Gustavus community from Queers & Allies, a student group numbering about 25-30 Gusties, is clear and resounding. This message is especially important to the group as they prepare for the annual recognition of Coming Out Week on campus, beginning on Thursday, Oct. 8 and ending on Friday, Oct. 16.

The timeline of events for the week: on Thursday at 10:00 a.m., there will be a Christ Chapel homily provided by Senior Communication Arts/Literature Teaching Major Alison Oppenheimer. Sunday, Oct. 11 is the widely-recognized National Coming Out Day, which will be celebrated on Eckman Mall beginning at noon and ending at 3:00 p.m. Planned activities for that day include informational tables, bracelet-making and other educational components and activities led by the Q&A members.

On Monday, Oct. 12 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the Courtyard Café, a presentation of the annual program “Queer We Are” will be held. All are encouraged to come to this event in which Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender (GLBT) individuals and their allies will be sharing their coming out stories in the formats of poetry, songs or narratives.

Tuesday, Oct. 13, Safe Zone Training will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Olin Hall 103. The event will attempt to answer the question, “What does it mean to be an ally to GLBT individuals?” As part of the program, Associate Dean of Students Deirdre Rosenfeld will give a presentation on gender fluidity, followed by a question-and-answer panel. Alison Oppenheimer said that Safe Zone Training has always been one of her favorite Coming Out Week events. “It’s an educational opportunity for people to learn more about how to be a good ally and about the issues that are important to the queer community … to ask honest questions and get honest answers,” Oppenheimer said.

Ally Appreciation Night will be held the following day, Wednesday, Oct. 14, beginning at 9:15 p.m. at the Adolphson House on 7th Street. The event is open to all of campus and intends to acknowledge the efforts by allies and friends who make a difference in the lives of GLBT individuals.

On Thursday, Oct. 15, Mattson Zust, a Twin Cities area musician, will be performing in the Courtyard Café from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Zust plays in the acoustic/coffee house genre of music, and all are welcome to hear him play.

Finally, on Friday, Oct. 16, Coming Out Week will conclude with its signature event, the Drag Show. As in past years, the Drag Show will be held in the Evelyn Young Dining Room beginning at 8:00 p.m. According to Queers & Allies Adviser and Associate Director of Admission Megan Coe, the Drag Show never fails to be a success. “A lot of careful thought and planning goes into each event, but if I had to recommend just [one], I’d say the Drag Show, just for the pure crazy fun,” Coe said.

Although the daily events are an important part of Coming Out Week, the most important element is the overarching message that is being communicated to the campus during the observance.

“[Coming Out Week seeks to show that] everyone is free to exist how they want to and to be proud and comfortable in their own skin … feel safe and have their diversity appreciated,” Andrew Nelson, senior Scandinavian studies major and Q&A co-president said.

For Q&A members, the message isn’t just about recognizing the rights of GLBT individuals on campus. It is also about how Gustavus is viewed as a reputable college. “It lets people know that there is a queer community that is active on campus … working to take more steps towards an open and affirming attitude towards queer people. Gustavus’ message to the public is that it affirms diversity, and this is another way for us to do that,” Oppenheimer said.

Those in support of Coming Out Week also have a hopeful message for Gustavus community members who feel that the weeklong observance is ill-advised or unnecessary. “Some people have their minds made up … and we accept that,” Coe said. “But often their views are based on misinformation … and once they have a chance to get to know us, to have a candid conversation and a safe place to ask their questions, they begin to understand that we really are normal people, just like them.”

The members of Q&A plan Coming Out Week to recognize the diversity of the community and see life through the eyes of another. Coming Out Week has not, and will never be, about forcing certain views or lifestyles on others. Members of Q&A don’t expect to change the world through the observance, just maybe a few opinions. “If nothing else,” Nelson said, “[Coming Out Week] encourages a healthy discussion in many places, classes, et cetera.”

GLBT community concerns have been at the forefront of social issues for the past few months. By January 2010, in at least five, and likely six, states (NH, MA, CT, ME, VT and IA), it will be legal to perform and enter into a same-sex marriage. Also, in late August, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted by a 55-45 percent margin to allow gay clergy members to be ordained.

Closer to home, Steve Waldhauser ’70, managing editor of the Gustavus Quarterly, has announced that legal same-sex marriages of Gustavus graduates will begin to be included in the marriage announcements section of the publication.

Despite any contentious opinions about Coming Out Week, it has become part of the Gustavus identity and tradition over the past few years.