Nearly 100 students gathered on the Student Services lawn Wednesday in support of National Coming Out Day.
While no one "came out" at the event, a couple of students did come out to their parents and friends, said David Encizo, a biology and society senior and facilitator of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer Coalition.
Traditionally, National Coming Out Day has always stressed the politics of the LGBTQ community, he said, referring to the fight for equal rights.
This year, Encizo said the emphasis was on gaining straight allies to advocate for their issues.
Rhett Etherton, a multilingual and multicultural elementary education senior and president of Act Out, an organization within the LGBTQ Coalition, said National Coming Out Day is just as much for straight people as it is for LGBTQ people.
"It's really important to include straight allies because without their support of the LGBTQ community, it will be very difficult for the community to secure more rights and be accepted in society," he said.
Organizers of the event designed two T-shirts supporting Coming Out Day this year, one for straight allies, and one for LGBTQ students.
Act Out decided on three goals for this year's National Coming Out Day, Etherton said.
The first was the celebrate people who have the courage to be "out" in their lives.
"It's a hard process and a difficult experience, but things are much better out [of the closet]," Etherton said.
The second goal was to give an opportunity for straight allies to show their support and to educate them about the experience LGBTQ students go through when they come out.
The third goal was to provide support and resources to people who were not already out of the closet.
"It's really important for those who are out to be really visible that day to show people that there are people who are out and that they're OK," Etherton said.
The event featured activities such as Queer Eye for the College Student, a mock of the popular TV show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
Two students were nominated to receive makeovers on the Student Services lawn.
Women's studies and psychology freshman Halina Brooke Reed, who participated in the makeover, said it bothers her that the general public stereotypes LGBTQ students.
"There's so much more to who I am and to who everyone else is that showed up today," she said. "It bothers me that someone who is queer is seen only by their queerness."
Another event at National Coming Out Day was stereotype acting. Students pulled a piece of paper with a stereotype from the box, and students acted out the stereotype on stage.
Reach the reporter at shaina.levee@asu.edu.
