October is LGBTQ+ History Month and Elizabethtown College’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) kicked off the month with a showing of the Oscar Award-winning movie “Moonlight.”
The GSA is a club on campus that works to create a safe and accepting environment for those who have different gender and sexuality identities. This club works to host events and provide resources campus wide to make everyone at Etown feel safe and welcome.
On Tuesday Oct. 4, the GSA held their first event of LGBTQ+ History Month in Gibble Auditorium. The event was a free showing of “Moonlight.”
“Moonlight” is a film that explores ideas of gay identities and Black masculinity through a main character as he ages. “Moonlight” won three Oscar Awards in 2016 for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali.
Although the Etown GSA has done things to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month in years past, this year, they’re working to give a higher visibility to a month that may have been historically overlooked. Their goal for this year is to make the celebration more widely spread across all of campus and give opportunities to people to further their knowledge on the community. The events being held throughout this month will be heavily focused on educating those who choose to come on the history of LGBTQ+ community.
“I think events like this one are super important to our campus community because it allows people to become more educated and broaden their knowledge on different communities beyond their own,” senior psychology major Caeyln King said.
The film depicted numerous scenes where Chiron, the main character, faced adversity within his community. Chiron had to conquer being bullied, growing up in a home with only one parent, being in a neighborhood with heavy drug influence as well as coming to terms and figuring out his sexuality. “Moonlight” highlights the struggles of being gay in the Black community and the struggles many people face while trying to navigate those situations.
“We chose ‘Moonlight’ for the showing because it is an award-winning movie and has many reviews saying it inspires people,” GSA President Samhar Almomani said. “The movie gives first hand looks into what it’s like being in the community”
“I found the movie to be very enlightening since I’m not a member of the community. It gave me a good perspective of what a lot of people have to go through every day,” junior occupational therapy major Alexia Tsamoutalidis said after attending the showing. “I think it’s important for people who aren’t in the community to educate themselves, and these events that the GSA are holding are great opportunities for that.”
“I thought the movie ‘Moonlight’ was a very good movie that was well made,” sophomore biochemistry major and attendee Aspen Stahl-Emmings said. “The movie provided connections to people’s real life and experiences, that I as a white straight male will never have to experience, so it was very eye-opening.”
The GSA will be holding several other events later this month to celebrate LGBTQ+ History month including an exhibit being held in the High Library Oct. 13-27 about being out on campus and the history of LGBTQ+ activism among Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Also, there will be a lecture being held by Dr. Dawnielle Simmons on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.: Reclaiming Hidden Narratives: A Critical Race View of the History of LGBTQ+ Movements in the US.
To keep up with all future events that the Etown GSA will be hosting, you can follow their Instagram @etown.gsa where they post regular updates revolving around the club and their functions where everyone is welcome.
