The campus of Vanderbilt University will be blanketed by rainbow flags next week during the second annual Rainbow ReVU - the school's gay pride week.
First organized last year by Klint Peebles, president of the school's Lambda Association gay-straight alliance, the event has already grown into its second year garnering participation from more than 60 groups across campus who have vowed to display gay pride flags during the week.
Peebles said all the school's residence halls and sororities and many other student groups, including a few fraternities, have agreed to hang rainbow flags as a sign of the campus' solidarity, but some fraternities have decided not to participate.
"This will be a big experiment," Peebles said. "There has been a bit of tension within the Greek community. I think the more fraternities that do it, the more will come on board with it. But, this could be something that takes time."
Vanderbilt's Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council (which oversee the university's fraternities and sororities, respectively) both are sponsors of the Rainbow ReVU, indicating that Vandy's Greek system is in support of gay pride week, Peebles said, even if some groups within the system choose not to directly participate.
Other sponsors include the Office of the Dean of Students, Office of LGBTQI Life, Office of Arts and Creative Engagement, Student Life Center, Multicultural Leadership Council, Leadership Development and Intercultural Affairs, Wellness Resource Center, OUTLaw and VMS GSA.
The week's events include a free screening of the Oscar-winning movie "Milk," discussions about same-sex partnership and the biological basis of sexual orientation, as well as a look at the history of Nashville PRIDE. The week will culminate Friday evening with a Pride Banquet, for the first time. View the schedule of events below.
"The banquet is a semi-formal celebration of the LGBTQI community on campus and the impact Lambda has had on campus since it was founded in 1987," Peebles said.
He said Dean of Students Mark Bandas will speak at the event and many students, graduates, staff members and straight allies will be honored for their contributions to the LGBTQI community. Slideshows and a dance presentation will be shown during the dinner and Lambda's new board members will be announced.
Tickets to the banquet can be purchased for $10 at the main desk in the Sarratt Student Center. Or, send an email to lambda@vanderbilt.edu to request to reserve tickets.
Rainbow ReVU Schedule
Monday, March 16: Free Screening of MILK, Sarrattt Cinema, 7:00 PM. Discussion following film moderated by Brooke Ackerly, Professor in the Political Science Department and Jeremiah Garretson, graduate student in the Political Science Department
Tuesday, March 17: Kees Waaldijk Lecture, “The Protection of Same-Sex Partnership in International Law,” Law School’s Flynn Auditorium, Sponsored by OUTLaw, 12:00 Noon.
Wednesday, March 18: Nashville PRIDE Forum & Panel: History of PRIDE and Civic Involvement, Sarrattt 189, 7:00 PM. Refreshments provided.
Thursday, March 19: Keynote Lecture, “The Biological Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” presented by Dr. Leslie Smith, Wilson 126, 7:00 PM.
Friday, March 20: TGILGBTQIF, “Heroes and Pride in the LGBTQI Community, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, K.C. Potter Center.
- The 2009 Rainbow ReVU PRIDE Banquet, Student Life Center Ballroom, 6:30 PM. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Sarrattt Desk.
*All Week: Lambda on the Wall from 11 AM – 1 PM.
The Rainbow Flag Campaign: Campus-Wide!