The week of October 12 UNH PRIDE held their annual Ally week to teach students how to be successful allies to those in the LGBT+ community.
Tables were set up, according to the theme of the day, in the Bartels programming space throughout the week; Monday was National coming out day, Wednesday was Ally Pledges, Thursday was How to be an Ally, and Friday was Name an Ally.
Each day brought new club members ready and eager to answer questions and hand out information relating to different ways one could be an ally. There was also a continuous assortment of candy, Ally flags, and bracelets handed out to all who walked through.
The center of Ally week is promoting awareness and helping members of the LGBT+ feel accepted and happy in their own skin. For this reason a main center piece of the week was a white door people were invited to sign in multi-colored sharpie.
“The door is basically our metaphorical closet, it’s more for those in the LGBT+ community to ‘come out of the closet’ if they felt comfortable doing so,” says executive assistant of PRIDE Arianna Collica. The door was purchased by PRIDE last year with the goal of having the entire door covered in signatures of both members of the LGBT+ community and all student and faculty allies.
CJ Senerchia, president of PRIDE says he hopes to see the door covered by the time he graduates. When it is covered it will be painted over again to continue allowing the student body to sign and show their support. The door is a great way to unite the student community during Ally week.
Overall the week was a huge success and, according to Arianna, “definitely more successful than last year.” The week ended on a successful Name an Ally theme, unifying the student community at UNH with the LGBT+ community in the college. PRIDE hopes to continue this success moving forward with the upcoming Pride week and Second Chance Prom.
On November 21, PRIDE is hosting their second annual Second Chance Prom, meant to give students who may not have had the opportunity to take their significant other to their prom due to discriminatory rules a second chance to do so. Last year over 130 people attended this dance and the goal this year is to have 300 students in attendance.
While Second Chance Prom is an opportunity for members of the LGBT+ community to experience the prom they never could have it is also an opportunity for all students to meet new people and have a good time.
Come out to the Alumni Lounge on November 21 for a night of dancing and fun hosted by UNH PRIDE.
