When I was a Resident Advisor (RA) for a residence hall on campus two years ago, I initiated a campus-wide PRIDE Statements event during LGBTQA Month in April. My fellow RAs and I collected and came up ourselves with 110 statements of revelation, affirmation, introspection and statistics about issues that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people face in their daily lives. The statements were written on paper flags and the flags were staked across the campus ground for a whole day. The event also included a speech made by the Director of the university’s LGBTQA Services at the campus amphitheater and a PROUD t-shirt giveaway. The event was so successful- slightly controversial and eye-raising but highly educational and affirming- that it was done again the next year.

Here are the 110 statements that we staked to the ground:

  1. Your best friend could be gay.
  2. There is nothing gay about pink.
  3. “Gay” is not a synonym for “stupid.”
  4. “Faggot” was a 19th century British slang term for fuelwood used to make fires.
  5. Holding hands in public should be open to all couples.

  6. Straight women are more likely to contract AIDS than gay men.
  7. You did not decide your sexual orientation.
  8. Kids with same-sex parents grow up as healthy as kids with parents from both sexes.
  9. What are you doing to get equal rights for all people?
  10. When and how did you decide that you were straight?
  11. Interracial marriage was more disapproved of in the 1950s than same-sex marriage is now.
  12. Before 1973, homosexuality was considered a mental illness. Earlier than that, left-handedness was considered an influence of Satan.
  13. When gay couples kiss in public, they are not flaunting their homosexuality.
  14. Yes, I’m gay and yes, I’m happy.
  15. Being gay is more normal than you think.
  16. Being bisexual does not mean you’re indecisive.
  17. When did you first learn you were straight?
  18. Don’t assume your parents are straight.
  19. Most hate crimes against gay people are motivated by gender stereotypes
  20. The spectrum of sexual orientation doesn’t stop at gay, straight, or bisexual.
  21. “Bisexual” does not mean 50/50.
  22. Why must you think everyone is like you?
  23. “Straight” does not equal “normal.”
  24. Just because someone is gay does not mean she is attracted to every other gay person.
  25. Don’t assume he’s hitting on you just because he’s gay. Gay people have standards, too.
  26. Yes, Republicans can be gay and gay people can be Republicans.
  27. Men who are effeminate aren’t necessarily gay.
  28. There is nothing unmanly about an effeminate man.
  29. There is nothing unwomanly about a masculine woman.
  30. How have rigid gender roles hurt you recently?
  31. In a same-sex couple, one partner is not the “man” and the other is not the “woman.” That’s our heterosexist culture talking.
  32. Lesbian sex can happen without a penis, dildo, or other penetration device.
  33. Lesbian couples are often mistaken as sisters.
  34. Straight people can be victims of gay bashing and homophobia.
  35. Being gay is not “just a White people thing.”
  36. Homosexuality has existed since the existence of human beings in all cultures.
  37. Did you have to skip prom because you were afraid to reveal your sexual orientation?
  38. You don’t have to be gay to care about gay rights. Gay rights are human rights.
  39. Do you remember the “love and respect for all” take-home message of your religion?
  40. Most people fear what they don’t understand. Solution: Go understand what you fear!
  41. Did you ever hear a heterosexual person say, “I identify as straight”?
  42. When was the last time you saw gay people being represented positively on TV?
  43. When was the last time you saw a same-sex couple kiss on TV?
  44. Gay rights is not just a “liberal” issue.
  45. Gay people calling each other “dykes” or “faggots” can be a sign of internalized homophobia.
  46. In 2004, 11 states voted to ban same-sex marriage.
  47. Last month [March 2007], the national Conservative Jewish Seminary finally allowed gay students to enroll.
  48. Transgender people are not “confused” about their gender.
  49. Gay men can like sports as well.
  50. A woman who is independent does not mean she’s a feminist or lesbian.
  51. “Feminist” does not equal “lesbian.”
  52. German Nazis sewed inverted pink triangles on the clothes of people in concentration camps accused of being homosexual.
  53. A constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, if passed, will be the first amendment in U.S history to deny people rights rather than secure them.
  54. Black people can be gay, too. So can Asians, Latinos, Arabs, Native Americans, etc.
  55. In many Native American tribes, bisexual people are considered two-spirited.
  56. “Sexual orientation” is a very new idea. Ancient cultures were more fluid on the spectrum of people’s sexuality.
  57. There are many stories of same-sex love in the mythologies of all ancient societies.
  58. Same-sex couples can be denied the right to visit a sick or injured loved one in the hospital.
  59. Countries recognizing or allowing same-sex marriage: Canada, Spain, Mexico, Israel, Belgium, Netherlands
  60. Countried recognizing or allowing same-sex civil unions: Andorra, Czech Republic, Denmark
  61. U.S. states allowing or recognizing same-sex civil unions: Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey
  62. Do you know what happened to the Governor of New Jersey?
  63. I don’t care what your sexual orientation is.
  64. There are more things to get irritated about than someone’s sexual orientation.
  65. No one chooses to be an outcast, verbally abused, physically hurt, persecuted, or alienated by society.
  66. Did they call Leonadro Da Vinci or Michelangelo a sissy?
  67. Your future daughter or son, or niece or nephew can be queer.
  68. Is your dorm room a safe space for gay people?
  69. People who don’t dress their gender are not automatically gay.
  70. All men should be able to show affection to those they care about.
  71. Showing affection to those of the same gender that you care about is healthy, not homosexual.
  72.  Love is love is love is love!
  73. “Coming out” is not done just once. It is done everyday and every time we meet someone new.
  74. Expressing my sexuality is a decision to express who I am, not a decision to be gay.
  75. Same-sex relationships are not all about sex.
  76. Why do many parents think that gay people are sexual predators to their children when most sexual predators are straight men?
  77. Lesbian and gay couples want to have kids, too.
  78. Lesbian and gay couples create families as healthy as straight couples do.
  79. In most states, a judge can decide not to give custody of a child to a parent just because he/she is gay.
  80. Can’t you just get a civil union? Isn’t that the same as marriage?
  81. There are 300+ tax rights that come with marriage in the U.S.
  82. The real-life mathematician portrayed by Russell Crowe in “A Beautiful Mind” is actually gay. Why did the director decide to change this aspect of the character?
  83. Can you make a connection between the “coming out” stories of mutants in the “X-Men” movies and the “coming out” stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people?
  84. Don’t assume the feminine guy in the group is the gay one.
  85. Don’t assume the masculine girl in the group is a lesbian.
  86. A national survey found that 37% of LGBTQ students reported hearing homophobic remarks for faculty and school staff.
  87. 2 out of 5 youths do not feel safe in the school because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
  88. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth are more than 3 times as likely to have attempted suicide in the past year.
  89. A national study found that 25% of high school students perceived their teachers to exhibit significant prejudice against homosexual students.
  90. In 1988, a national survey found that only 12% of straight male youths, 15 to 19 years of age, were okay with having a friend that was gay. Has this number risen?
  91. A national survey found that 80% of high school students with an A or B grade average felt that homosexuals should be allowed to join the military. What is the other 20% thinking?
  92. A national survey found that 74% of high school students with an A or B grade average felt that homosexuals should be allowed to teach in school. What is the other 26% thinking?
  93. A national survey found that 70% of high school students with an A or B grade average felt that gay individuals should be able to coach youth sports.
  94. Does your athletic coach consciously provide a safe environment on your team for gay athletes? If not, what can you do to change that?
  95. What is the youngest age at which you feel you can talk to your children about sexual orientation?
  96. Saying, “This is my partner,” is a way for many people to identify their spouse without saying “wife” or “husband”.
  97. On a national survey, 78% of parents reported that they would be comfortable talking to their child about homosexuality and gay and lesbian people.
  98. Nationwide, 67% of parents stated that they favor their children being taught that gay people are just like other people.
  99. 56% of parents nationwide stated that they favor allowing groups or clubs on school campuses to promote tolerance and prevent discrimination against gay and lesbian students.
  100. 55% of parents nationwide stated that they would be fine with their child being gay or lesbian.
  101. 75% of lesbian and gay youths nationwide stated that they first “came out” to their friends.
  102. 46% of lesbian and gay youths nationwide stated that they lost a friend when they “came out” to them.
  103. There are several resources on this campus for LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff.
  104. Being an ally to LGBTQ people means actively addressing homophobic acts and speech with people.
  105. Bisexuals are often not welcomed by lesbians and gay men because they are thought to use their “heterosexual side” to avoid controversy.
  106. Being bisexual is not “selling out” against homosexuality or heterosexuality.
  107. A bisexual person marrying a person of the opposite sex does not mean he/she is rejecting his/her “gay side.”
  108. The first modern “sex change” surgeries took place in the early 1930s.
  109. In the early 20th century, transgender people who cross-dressed were frequently arrested for suspicion of prostitution.
  110. Would you feel as secure about the legitimacy of your marriage if everyone started referring to your wife or husband as “partner”, “long-time companion”, “girlfriend”, “boyfriend” or “friend”?