JONATHAN YOUNG/Daily Bruin Peter Lopez, a
fifth-year sociology student, speaks out for LGBT causes this
week.
By Debra Marisa Greene
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
dgreene@media.ucla.edu
In the first ever “Queers of Color Week,” about 40
students and faculty members gathered at Meyerhoff Park Tuesday to
hear students from various ethnicities speak about being part of
the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
“The purpose of the event is to celebrate the many LGBT
students from many different cultures and races,” said Ronni
Sanlo, director of the LGBT Resource Center. The center, along with
Mahu, La Familia and BlaQue, helped coordinate the event.
Sanlo said she hopes this week will contribute to nationwide
awareness.
“A weeklong celebration, unique to UCLA, hopes to be a
model for all the other campuses around the country,” she
said.
The event began with a hate-crime skit, where two boys held
hands as others shouted derogatory comments at them.
“This can’t happen on our campus,” said Faith
Cheltenham, a fourth-year history student and chair of BlaQue, an
LGBT organization for African Americans. “People will be
touched by it, and that is what really matters.”
Cheltenham spoke of the struggle of being both African American
and part of the LGBT community, adding that she had much difficulty
finding African American friends.
“There are still people who don’t feel like they are
part of the community,” she said.
Peter Lopez, a fifth-year sociology student and co-chair of La
Familia, also found it hard to be Latino in the LGBT community.
“It was hard to identify as a Latino and as a queer
person,” said Lopez, who was not openly gay until he was
21.
“After awhile I couldn’t hide it,” he
said.
Myron Dean Quon, deputy regional director of Lambda Legal, a
national organization which fights for the civil rights of the LGBT
community and people with HIV or AIDS, spoke about the need for
people to get involved in order to dispel stereotypes.
People of different ethnicities have a glass ceiling and are
subject to stereotypes, he said.
“You need to get active and involved to get the message
across,” he said.
While there are people insensitive to the LGBT community, there
are also many on campus who are supportive, participants said.
“It takes a lot of effort to be out ““ many people
are respectful of me, Cheltenham said, “There is a lot to say
about hope.”
“I want to make sure we are a forefront to make this world
better for everyone,” she added.
Queers of Color Week also includes a film night tonight in
Knudsen 1220B and an Xpression Night Thursday in Rolfe 1200 with
drag performances from students and professionals.