The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Resource Center at Eastern Michigan University hosted its annual OUTober Flag Display on the lawn of Pray-Harrold, a campus educational building. About 20 students gathered in the lawn located near the center of campus. They planted hundreds of individual tiny red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple flags to represent a large rainbow flag that symbolizes EMU’s diverse LGBTQ+ community.
“The flag means we’re here and we’re proud of being here...we’re here (and) we're not afraid to be seen.” said Lorant Peeler, EMU sophomore. Peeler feels it is important for the EMU community to feel the presence of the LGBTQ+, and that creating this flag helps accomplish that.
This event is one of the first events the LGBTRC is coordinating for OUTober, a month full of events related to awareness and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community on EMU’s campus.
“It’s one of the most public things we do for OUTober,” said Lindsay Clark, EMU student. “It’s really nice to put a part of yourself into a display for everybody.”