By: Paige Scofield Campus Life Editor
The Multicultural Student Union and Triangle Alliance came together to create the event, “Out and Proud,” an event that is described on Western’s website as one that, “celebrates and explores the various cultures and ethnic backgrounds that are within the LGBTQ+ community and recognizes their challenges as well as celebrates their achievements and success.”
In the late morning of Feb. 8, there was a Queer People of Color panel in the Willamette room of the Werner University Center to create a discussion about queer people of color and the difficulties and achievements they face as a double minority.
That evening at 6:00 p.m., there was a dinner themed “Let Your Colors Burst,” with keynote speaker, Maria Peters Lake, who dubs herself a “Lesbian drag queen.”
One of the planners for the event was, Katherine Macias-Torres, a sophomore nursing major, who is a campus advocate for the Multicultural Student Union. Their job is to work with other clubs and organizations on campus to see how they can work together to bring awareness to campus.
“‘Out and Proud’ is an annual event that we throw and it’s in cooperation with Triangle Alliance.” Macias-Torres stated, “It’s an important event because being a person of color within the LGBTQ+ community is like a double minority, it’s definitely something that is overlooked by a plethora of different groups. I really like the idea of having an ‘Out and Proud’ event because it’s like, ‘hey, we see you and we acknowledge you and you’re important.’ I think it’s important to bring that to light.”
After dinner was served, Maria Peters Lake took to the microphone to discuss what her life was like growing up gay in a family that didn’t acknowledge or discuss the LGBTQ+ community, and growing up to become accepted and loved by those around her. Lake is a big figure in the LGBTQ+ community and has served many different positions in the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court, one of Oregon’s oldest LGBTQ+ organizations. Lake also had various fundraising efforts to benefit the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund: a scholarship for undergraduate students in the LGBTQ+ and allied community.
On Feb. 10, Triangle Alliance hosted the Black and Red Ball in the Pacific room of the Werner University Center to finish the “Out and Proud” event with a slam-bang finish. This event was to create awareness as well as to raise money for the Cascades AIDS Project.
Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu
