PRIDE offers a diverse outlet

The gay community has become an evident part of diversity on the Fisher campus in the last four years. Diversity is an aspect of the college experience that Fisher encourages in many ways. With a highly recognized club present like FisherPRIDE, the gay community has made its mark on campus.
Meghan Lentner, vice president of FisherPRIDE, came to Fisher as a freshman and quickly recognized that the recognition and acceptance of gay people was not what it is today. The main problem with campus during her freshman year was little exposure to the gay community, especially among freshmen.
“I feel like for a lot of students at the time, especially freshmen, there was little exposure to the gay community and that was a main problem with why it was not more widely accepted on campus,” said Lentner. “When I first came to college I knew a couple gay people but I was naïve to the opposition and discrimination many gay people face.”
However, four years later, during Lentner’s senior year, the campus has come farther than ever expected. Walking around campus, Lentner notes many people talking about the Drag Show and the Laramie Project, two events put on by Pride.
“I didn’t get involved in Pride until my sophomore year,” said Lentner. “Matt [Mendolera, president of FisherPRIDE] sort of pulled me into it, and I really began to see that there was a need for diversity and a need for people to be exposed to the issues.”
There are more straight allies, like myself, on this campus than ever before and it reflects just how far Fisher has come in terms of diversity and acceptance.”
Another senior who has realized the impact of the gay community on Fisher is Michael Steck. Steck had a different experience, given that he came to campus in his junior year. Having started later in his career, Steck was surprised at how accepting the Fisher campus actually was.
Being an older student, he was familiar with a time when homosexuality was not discussed or accepted. During this time, it was surprising that Fisher had a group on campus that focused primarily on the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual community.

“The idea of a gay group on campus would be shunned completely,” said Steck. “I do know that with talking with FisherPRIDE President Matt Mendolera that when the Pride group was started, he received threats and harassment and that was only four years ago,” stated Steck. “In that respect it seems as though the campus has done a complete turn around.”

By Kyle Hayes
krh05234@sjfc.edu

Gay-freindly Hot Spots:

* Toronto and New York City
* Muthers on Wed. and Fri. Nights
* Tilt on Thurs. and Sat.
*Nasty D's (over 21) as the first stop of the night