By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– The UH Manoa LBGT Student Services Office invites the community to join together for “No H8 (Hate) in the 808,” a celebration in honor of National Coming Out Day, Thursday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Campus Center.
The special event is in honor of tolerance and acceptance, and is aimed at highlighting Hawaii’s support of ending bullying and building equality for LBGT (lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender) people. More than 20 community organizations, churches, service agencies and advocacy groups will share their resources for creating a climate where LBGT youth are accorded dignity and respect for who they are.
Highlights of the event will include:
· An LGBT Community Resource Fair.
· 8th Annual Amazing Ally T-shirt Day Give-away: “No H8 in the 808” T-shirts will be distributed to everyone who wants to “wear their support” for LGBT equality—all day, all across campus.
· “No H8 in the 808” Video Project: Record a sound bite proclaiming your love for diversity and equality.
· Public address and proclamation by Governor Neil Abercrombie, 12:30 p.m., Campus Center.
A special highlight will be the making of a “community quilt,” where participants can decorate mural-like panels with messages of love for diversity and support for LBGT equality. The community quilt will be displayed on campus as a visible reminder of Hawaii’s support for “No H8 in the 808.”
To prepare for the quilt-making activity, LBGT Student Services is asking for donations of old or new T-shirts to be dropped off at the Queen Liliuokalani Center for Student Services, room 211. “The quilt-making symbolizes that, in spite of our many differences in Hawaii, the fabric of diversity holds us together,” said LBGT Student Services Director Camaron Miyamoto.
The LBGT Student Services Office is administered in coordination with the UH Mānoa Office of Student Equity Excellence and Diversity, which offers 18 programs that support equitable access in higher education.