by Lindsay Ginn
A&E Editor

On Thursday, October 11, SCC celebrated Coming Out Day - a day intended to help students feel comfortable with their orientation and letting others know about their beliefs. It was supported by the Multicultural/Diversity Education Center and the Women’s Center.

“We have met several students over the course of the past few months who have indicated to us their fear of revealing their sexual orientation to others,” says Lynette Peters of the Women’s Center, “especially on campus.”

Included in the day’s events was a meeting with Barb Clark-Elliot, president of the Seattle PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends for Lesbians and Gays) chapter and self-proclaimed PFLAG Mom, as well as Valerie Zimmer, who is also a PFLAG member. Clark-Elliot became involved with PFLAG in 2001 when her niece, a valedictorian of her high school, fell in love with the prom queen at their high school reunion. “They’ve been together ever since,” she says fondly. Zimmer became involved the night that her surrogate son came out to her. “We want to help parents and their children deal with coming out. The parents need to respond fairly, but their children also need to be aware of how they present it.”

PFLAG started in 1972 when one proud mother walked side-by-side with her son in New York City’s Gay Pride Parade. After being enraged by the abuse that her gay son and his friends were experiencing based on their orientation, the support she displayed bloomed into what we now know as PFLAG. Now, they have events and confidential meetings all over the country, with the Seattle chapter holding three per month. They provide a safe-haven for homosexuals of all ages, as well as an arena for advice and support for family and friends.

“When (people) come to a place of love and acceptance, it’s a wonderful thing,” says Clark-Elliot. “I can’t tell you how many people have been dragged out of our booths (at Seattle PRIDE, a gay-positive event) by their parents.”

One student, Adam Rost, is ready to do all that he can to provide support to homosexual students on campus. Rost is reviving the Rainbow Club - a club that’s been dormant for a few years on campus. “The point of a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) is to be a source of support. When I was younger, I didn’t have a support group,” says Rost. He is surprised at the apprehension surrounding the topic of sex and sexual orientation, being a quarter Chinese, German, Italian and French. “I grew up in Germany and Italy, where it wasn’t uncommon for one to walk down the street and see a nude woman holding a bottle of perfume on a billboard,” he says. “In America, it seems that no one even wants to say the word ‘sex.' They’d rather say ‘oh, you-know-what.’” Rost is ready for the controversial elements of this endeavor, understanding the abuse and bullying that some students receive for their preferences. “Our (Rainbow Club) flyers are already being torn down.” That aside, Rost, the Multicultural and Women’s Center and PFLAG plan on persevering and carrying on their positive messages.

If you’d like to be on the Rainbow Club’s mailing list to learn about future meetings and events, send an e-mail to Rachel David at rdavid@shoreline. edu.

For more information on Seattle’s PFLAG chapter, visit www.Seattle-PFLAG.org or www.pflag.org.