 "Photo: Downloaded from Out Is In Facebook page.")
Mars Hill College students have formed Out Is In, a group to promote awareness and equality for people of different sexual orientations.
Out Is In is a fairly new group out of MHC, promoting the equality of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans-gendered persons, known as the GLBT community.
The group began organizing last academic year. It has met off campus at the Mars Hill Baptist Church and also on campus in Cornwell. Out Is In uses Facebook to connect with people and has about 140 users.
The group’s description on Facebook reads:
“We the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, questioning, queer, and ALLIED population of Mars Hill and the surrounding Mars Hill area will work to promote an environment of equality, understanding, and harmony for people of all sexual orientations, sexualities, gender identities and expressions by providing access to the internet as well as an on-campus group to raise awareness, community visibility, and increase support.”
Brittany Downs, the president of the new group, said that Out Is In is a secure place for people to be comfortable and to be free of judgment. Downs called the group a “safe place” for people to education themselves.
Ryan Cauble, the vice president, said that individuals around campus are already supporting non-discrimination by posting special stickers on or near their doors. The stickers, striped red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, correlate with the commonly used rainbow symbol of tolerance in the GBLT community. Written in black on the stickers is the word “SAFE,” indicating the place where the stickers are posted is welcoming to all students.
Greg Clemons, faculty adviser for Out Is In, said that he hopes the students on campus will decide that it is time for a change. He said he hopes that the student of Mars Hill would see Out Is In like any other student group, not just one for the GLBT community.
Clemons, an associate professor or Spanish, said he would like to see many more students become involved and see the group grow to be accepted. One of Out Is In’s biggest goals, he said, is to include everyone.
“All students are welcome to join,” he said.
The group, Clemons said, would like to accomplish several things: bridging gaps with students who might not feel comfortable with the GLBT student population; creating a safe environment where supporters and active GLBT people can find acceptance; informing the rest of the world of their existence; and having a say in MHC’s student government.
About five years ago, a similar group, Open Doors, asked to be a recognized student group on campus, but SGA voted against the application. Out Is In did not apply for recognition as a student group this fall, but the group may do so later, according to participants.
“As the founding president of Open Doors, I am very excited to hear about this new group at Mars Hill College,” Jason Miller posted on the Out Is In Facebook page last spring. “As many of you remember, we made huge strides back in 2003-2005 with Open Doors until the group was voted down in SGA. I hope this attempt is successful.”
In September, SGA President Grace Kim said in an interview with The Hilltop that although her beliefs do not coincide with Out Is In, she would uphold the group’s right to have due process if it sought recognition as an official student group with voting rights in SGA.
“Well, if you ask my personal opinion, it is going against my faith and what I believe,” Kim said. “But at the same time, I try to be objective. I’m not going to reject them, but I’m not going to push them. I will do, as student body president, what I have to do.”
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