Ousted cadet to speak today at rally
By Patrick Marantal
Daily Bruin Contributor
Huong Nguyen, a ROTC cadet UCLA on leave after coming out as a
bisexual, will speak today at noon in Perloff Quad.
Nguyen will talk about her experiences and answer questions
regarding her recent decision to come out to her superior officers
and regarding the military’s ban on gay, lesbian and bisexual
individuals.
She will be introduced by her partner, Ali Beck, the editor in
chief of TenPercent, UCLA’s gay, lesbian and bisexual newsmagazine.
Both Beck and David Mixner, a gay right’s lobbyist and organizer of
today’s rally, will field questions at Nguyen’s request.
"I hope to gather the community, not just in the gay sense, but
also in the environment," said Nguyen, a fourth-year philosophy
student. "By doing that, I hope to show people that they don’t have
to be afraid of coming out and supporting something gay. We can
make people aware that decision effects people on campus and the
students."
Organizers said they expect a "fair" turnout, both of press and
members of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community. They also hoped
that members of the greater UCLA community will come and show their
support for Nguyen.
"I think it’s time for people on this campus to stand up and
live up to their commitment to diversity," Beck said.Comments to
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