Six students who risked a little embarrassment Wednesday night to show some attitude were rewarded with Skittles — the “unofficial gay candy.”
“You know,” said speaker Shane Windmeyer, “taste the rainbow.”
But the focus of Windmeyer’s speech was more serious, as he discussed the controversies surrounding the gay presence in the college Greek scene.
Windmeyer described to about 50 students and Evanston residents his experiences with coming out and the reactions he encountered while encouraging straight students to be open-minded.
College students must accept the fact that fellow fraternity and sorority members might be gay, he said.
“I want you to stand up for someone else and let them know you’re an ally,” he said. “Let them know you’ll be accepting. I hope you will go away learning to be more appreciative or respectful of the diversity that surrounds you.”
The event was sponsored by Northwestern’s Greek organizations as well as the Office of Residential Life and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Support Network.
The editor of two books, “Out on Fraternity Row” and “Sorority Secrets,” Windmeyer addressed the presence of gay and lesbian students in Greek organizations — pressures not often realized by fellow members.
“I think it’s important not to say, ‘We don’t have any gays in our fraternity,'” he said. “I encourage you not to dismiss the idea that there may be one person who is gay or lesbian in your fraternity or sorority.”
Gays represent about 10 percent of the student population, he said.
He added that gay students join Greek houses for the same reason that straight students join: a sense of belonging.
Windmeyer said he felt more comfortable when he came out during college because he knew his fraternity brothers supported him.
As a student at a liberal arts college in Kansas, Windmeyer came out two years after joining his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, where he served as vice president.
The first person he told was one of his fraternity brothers, whose support was influential in his decision to come out to the rest of the fraternity and his family.
“What he did made all the difference in my life,” Windmeyer said. “He said I was the same brother he always knew and gave me a hug.”
Although his fraternity was supportive, Windmeyer encountered opposition from his parents and many others when he came out in 1992, he said.
“(My mother) thought gay people were people with AIDS and child molesters,” he said. “These were all the stereotypes.”
Many gay fraternity and sorority members are reluctant to come out because of threats of violence and loss of friendships, he said.
For instance, a student at a Florida college was caught by a fraternity member holding hands with another man, Windmeyer said. The fraternity members wanted to expel him and he killed himself shortly after at a local playground.
“Why did he have to die?” Windmeyer asked. “Nothing changed about who he was or what he contributed to the Greek community.”
Despite the serious issues Windmeyer addressed, students said they appreciated his candid approach to a serious issue.
“I learned how hard it is for people who don’t fit in to coexist,”said Kiran Varma, an Education senior.
With more students coming out during college, Windmeyer said he hoped his speech brought to the forefront an issue needing attention.
“I think it’s great that they brought this to campus,” said Weinberg senior Julie Maglosky. “It’s a huge issue and something that has to be dealt with.”
