Mouthing Off, the Mills College queer organization, will be celebrating National Coming Out Week on Oct. 14 with a day full of events taking place on campus.
“It’s a great way to get the school year started and introduce Mouthing Off to the Mills community,” said Lauren White, co-president of Mouthing Off.
Mouthing Off is setting up a kissing booth and a bake sale for fundraising. The club will also be holding more amusing events such as a “pin-the piercing-on-the-lady” contest. Mouthing Off is planning to hand out identity stickers and resource guides to all those interested in showing spirit and support.
“Though I came out more than five years ago, I feel the activities taking place on campus are a positive way to celebrate the life changes that come with breaking the silence,” said senior Jenni Owens. “I also feel it is a great opportunity to come together as an active community working for change.”
Shar Rednour and Jackie Strano, lesbian feminist porn directors, will also be speaking at Mills that night in honor of National Coming Out Week. Rednour and Strano debuted in the world of video in 1998 with Bend Over Backward which has since been a best seller at Good Vibrations. Bend Over Backward 2 has also gained a wide following since its release. Both women wrote, directed, starred and produced their own
see Coming Out, page 4
films and praised with making honest porn with “real women and real action.”
Mouthing Off hopes to create a jovial and fun atmosphere at Mills and want the community to enjoy the day and participate in the activities.
“It’s all about having fun, doing some fundraising and bring people out to support the queer community,” said Mouthing Off president Shoshana Gross.
“It will give us an opportunity to create a discussion about the queer community present at Mills,” said White.
In the future Mouthing Off hopes to create awareness surrounding queer issues on campus, and wants to continue making Mills a queer friendly college. The club also wants to build queer visibility on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods.
The bay area will be also be bustling with activity this weekend as queer organizations all over the country are planning to partake in the celebration surrounding National Coming Out Day.
Oct. 11 marks the day that workshops, speak-outs and other kinds of events aimed at the queer community will take place.
The University of California Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex Association will be holding two workshops on how gay and lesbian domestic partners can take advantage of new employee benefits as well as understand the tax implications it entails. Both workshops will be held at the University of California Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Intersex Association president’s office on Oct. 10 and 11.
