The LGTBQ+ Student Alliance in partnership with the Gender + Equality Center and Health Services hosted OU’s first Queer Love Week Feb. 8 through Feb. 10.
Quan Phan, the LGBTQ+ program coordinator for the Gender + Equality Center, and Ezra Koenig, the vice-president of LGBTQ+ Student Alliance, planned the events for this week.
“Ezra Koenig conceptualized this series,” Phan said in an email to the Daily, “We are hoping to make this an annual tradition, as our feedback has been quite positive from the LGBTQ+ community and the OU community at large.”
“The goal for Queer Love Week is to educate others that queer love, no matter what that may look like, is valid and should be showcased,” Koenig said in an email.
One of the big events for Queer Love Week was a photoshoot on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
Two students looking at their new photos Feb. 9.
Students could register for Queer Love: Photoshoot to get their photo taken for either a professional headshots or couples photos in front of the LOVE statue on the North Oval.
Members of the of LGBTQ+ Student Alliance helped students in attendance by checking who had registered and guiding them to the photoshoot while Phan took their photos.
“My goal is that our students feel represented on campus and feel like their identity is valid; we want to create an event that is centered in love and joy,” Phan said in his email.
Abhi Nath, a senior anthropology major, and Kellie Dick, senior professional writing major, saw the mass email about the photoshoot and came because they thought it would be fun.
“I’ve been pretty involved with the LGBT community here,” Nath said. “Before I came out, I was actually pretty good friends with the other (anthropology majors) who were out.”
“I’d say most of my friends are in the (LGBT) community,” Dick added.
Phan took the photos of the students in attendance.
Alongside the photoshoot were seminars that encouraged healthy relationships, as well as free HIV testing for all students.
The last event was Sexperts, which took place on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Walker Storm Shelter. Sexperts was an interactive workshop that focused on the education of STDs and pregnancy prevention, and the event is in partnership with the Goddard Health Services.
“They are the experts on campus on discussing healthy relationships as well as LGBTQ+ health, and we are grateful to have this opportunity to collaborate with them,” Phan wrote in an email.
Visit the Gender + Equality Center and the OU LGBTQ+ Student Alliance websites to learn more about their causes and future events they will hold.
