Lgbts Confront Persecution
Volume 85 - Issue 10 November 16, 2012 LGBTs confront persecution Airband to Campus group offers support to LGBT students take the place BY TYLER LEHMANN of NBDC FEATURES CO-EDITOR BY GILLIAN ANDERSON Recalling dirty looks on campus and A once-popular Northwestern event, harassment in dorms, Northwestern Airband, will be introduced to a new College’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and generation of students. transgender students said they are Airband is a competition in which “persecuted” at the school. In response, groups create a lip-syncing performance NW’s unofficial student-run LGBT to a song or mix of songs. advocacy group has expanded its efforts “It is lip syncing but not the band to raise awareness of perceived LGBT type of lip syncing,” said Aaron discrimination on campus. Beadner, director of student programs. “Everyone should have a place where Most students were still in high they feel safe and free to be who they school when Airband last took place are and not feel judged or persecuted, and on campus four years ago. Some we want to be that for anyone who needs former students who remember it us,” said senior Keely Wright, executive are now working for NW, and a few administrator of LEAP, an organization current students have heard about it for LGBT-affirming students that is from recent graduates. unaffiliated with NW. “I remember Airband as a student,” Taking its name from the acronym said Drew Schmidt who graduated “Love, Education, Acceptance, Pride,” from NW in 2005 and is now the the group clashes with NW’s official audiovisual technician at NW.
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