By: Shaylie Pickerel
Staffwriter

The annual, countrywide day of action called Day of Silence was held again on Western’s campus. The Day of Silence is a day of action to spread awareness about the effects of bullying and harassment that the LGBTQ+ community faces daily.

Though the Day of Silence is important and meaningful, it’s just as important to break the silence and create a Night of Noise. On April 21, Triangle Alliance held the Night of Noise event in the Mt. Jefferson Room in Valsetz. The event allowed the LGBTQ+ community to express and enjoy themselves. During the event, there were opportunities to win prizes through raffles and bingo games, as well as get to enjoy many snacks.

There was an open mic portion of the event, where people could share their thoughts, poetry or personal stories to help express the importance of the event and the importance of self-love within the LGBTQ+ community.

This year, Western alumni Nawwal Moustafa spoke at the event.
Moustafa shared stories from when she was in college, about some of the struggles she’s been through and the struggles she continues to go through. While giving her speech, Moustafa made many important points about being true to yourself and how hard coming out can be.

“You don’t need anybody’s permission to do whatever the hell you want,” stated Moustafa. Being able to admit to yourself that you are who you are and being able to accept yourself is difficult enough without having to worry about what others think of you.

When talking about the experience of coming out, she said, “You never come out once,” because each experience and interaction with a new or old friend is different and nerve-racking. But she ended her speech on a note of hope stating that,“Thriving happens when you can own every single piece of your story.”

Night of Noise was a safe event that allowed those within the LGBTQ+ community to truly be themselves in a welcoming environment.

Triangle Alliance holds many events on Western’s campus throughout the year. For more information on Triangle Alliance’s future events, check out their Facebook page: WOU Triangle Alliance, or visit them in the Stonewall Center downstairs in the Werner University Center.

Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu