Johnson County Community College
Press Release

College Information and Publications
913-469-8500
Julie Haas, Associate Vice President, Marketing Communications, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122

3/13/09
Story by Peggy Graham

JCCC observes Gay Pride month

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Johnson County Community College will observe Gay Pride month in April. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.

• Wednesday, April 8, book discussion, 2-4 p.m., In-Focus Dining Room, Commons Building
  Interim Multicultural Center program director Danny Alexander will lead a discussion on One More River to Cross: Black and Gay in America by Keith Boykin. According to Publishers Weekly, Boykin, who is black and gay, came out of the closet in 1991 at age 25 while attending Harvard Law School, then went on to serve as special media assistant to President Clinton (1993-1994) as a liaison with the African-American and homosexual communities. His important, bridge-building report stakes out common ground between blacks and gays, who share a burden of fighting oppression, negative stereotypes and internalized self-hatred.
• Tuesday, April 14, Campus-Wide Speak Out Panel, 2-3:30 p.m., Craig Community Auditorium
  This is an opportunity for students campus wide to discuss LGBT issues with the students who have taken part in this year’s classroom “Speak Out” panels.
• Thursday, April 16, Student Activities movie, Jeffrey, noon and 7:30 p.m., Craig Community Auditorium. Noon showing is free; 7:30 p.m. showing is 50 cents for students with a JCCC ID and $1 for the general public.
  Surprisingly lighthearted and witty, Paul Rudnick's Jeffrey was one of the first films to tackle the AIDS crisis without patting itself on the back or offering everything up in a sobering movie-of-the-week scenario. The film stars Steven Weber, Michael T. Weiss, Sigourney Weaver and Patrick Stewart.
• Friday, April 17, Day of Silence
  Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action toward creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The first-ever Day of Silence at the University of Virginia in 1996 has led to organizing efforts in more than 8,000 middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across the country today.
• Wednesday, April 22, Second Annual JCCC Pride and Drag Show, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Commons steps
  Drag performances will be accompanied by musical performances and an emcee, along with educational segments regarding LGBT people and issues. There will also be a number of LGBT vendors.

For more information about Gay Pride month, contact Susan McGarvey, administrative assistant, ODEI, 913-469-8500, ext. 4327, or mcgarvey@jccc.edu, or Danny Alexander, interim director, Multicultural Center, JCCC, at 913-469-8500, ext. 3429, dalexand@jccc.edu.