CU GLBT community celebrates "Coming Out Week"

The Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender community is celebrating its annual "Coming Out Week."

Events and social mixers are planned on the CU campus for the five day event, which began Monday with the week's official "Coming Out Day." During a storytelling mixer, individuals were encouraged to tell their own story of coming out, and be open about their sexuality.

Political science major Laurence Gendelman said coming out as gay to his friends, "wasn't that big of a deal."

"Telling my mom was a whole different situation, there was no reason for me to be worried about it, but I was really nervous about it for some reason," he said.

He said his own coming out experience wasn't ideal - a friend "outed" him as gay to his friends in the dorms as a resident assistant his sophomore year.

If he had the chance to do it again, he wouldn't change a thing.

The GLBT Resource Center on campus has several events planned for the week.

Wednesday, the Center presents a free screening of the film Contracorriente, as part of National Coming Out week in partnership with Latino Heritage Month and Branch Out.

Thursday, the Gindi Cafe in the Peloton on Arapahoe is hosting a Graduate Student Social Hour from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Friday, the GLBT Resource Center is hosting an anniversary celebration, marking 15 years at the University of Colorado.