LGBT+ Support Blossoms Within IGC

In the spirit of expanding acceptance and awareness of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Plus (LGBT+) community, Utah University Asia Campus opened its first-ever “Pride Week” in Incheon Global Campus (IGC). Pride Week was open to all IGC members and several Mason Korea students participated in the event as well.

With LGBT+ being such a sensitive topic in South Korea, it was a risky decision that Utah made to promote Pride Week. Despite concerns that students would be uncomfortable speaking about the topic or uninterested in supporting LGBT+ communities, they decided it was an important topic to express. However, the event had a higher turnout than expected. Close to 100 IGC students showed up to events and expressed their support to the LGBT+ community. All around the Utah school building were pride flags and other rainbow-designed decorations to express the pride support. Utah also gave out pride stickers, pins and tote bags to students who participated in the events they held.

George Mason students participated in this event as well. The influence to come support the LGBT+ community spread out to other IGC universities, encouraging Mason students to participate in the event and show their support. During the first activity that Utah had for Pride Week, they asked passing students to write encouraging notes to the LGBT+ community. GMUK Freshman YoungSeo Park stated that she wrote about how she supports the LGBT+ members and hopes that they will remember that there are many other students who support them as well. Many other students wrote similar messages in hopes that they would help other students feel more comfortable in their school environment.

Henry Kim, a Utah student who took part in planning Pride Week stated that the topic of LGBT+ in school made him reminisce negative memories from when he was younger, as his classmates expressed their hate for the community or their confusion about the topic. However, when he arrived to university, he felt that there was more support for the LGBT+ community and thought it was a good idea to inform other students. He hopes that these events will influence students to be more accepting to the LGBT+ members and in the future, be able to see each other as equals. Utah Freshman Nicole Shelton noted, “The committee’s goal for pride week was to make LGBT+ a less taboo subject especially around our campus. We just want people to feel more comfortable about the topic especially people of the LGBT+ community that haven’t come out yet. To make them feel safer and feel more accepted in general.”

Kristy Tsai | Reporter

ktsai2@masonlive.gmu.edu