Sexual Minorities Alliance Raises Awarness At Choate
By Kristen Raddatz ‘09
News Staff Reporter
This week has been a hectic time for all students on campus thanks to fall midterm, but one group in particular has been especially busy. SMASS (Sexual Minorities and Straight Supporters), is celebrating in a big way this October. National Coming Out Day, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, was honored like never before at Choate. It was more eventful, organized, and successful than the years before. This year’s theme of “Talking About It” was expressed in signs, pictures, posters, and sayings publicized all over campus.
But all of this was only a kickoff to the upcoming Ally Week. October 15-21, this will be a time for spreading consciousness and building acceptance at Choate Rosemary Hall. There are numerous plans for Ally Week, the first being a “thoughts box” that will be placed outside of the dining hall. SMASS will encourage all students to put any ideas or questions that they may have into this box.
The club is also planning on handing out buttons and stickers as part of the Ally Week celebration. The trinkets will read “Save Space.” Their purpose is to aid Choate students and faculty who chose to support the movement in showing their support for homosexuality. SMASS hopes that these public displays of cooperation will galvanize more strength and awareness for their cause.
There are also plans in the works for an optional meeting in the Getz Auditorium, primarily for discussion, concurrent with this year’s theme of “Talking About It.” A Reflections-type gathering, it will be a chance to share thoughts and opinions, show support, or simply attend and observe.
Everything that SMASS has done for Coming Out Day and will do for Ally Week is what the club sees as another step forward in spreading the word. “Our purpose for these events is to increase awareness, to get communication flowing, and to build better understanding in our Choate community,” says Bailee Sims ’07, an officer in the club.
