Silence surrounded students as they entered a dark, red-cloakedCardinal Hall.
Voices shouted at them from behind the curtain.
"Fag!"
"God doesn't love you."
"Get out of my town!"
"What's wrong with you?"
Then, Anthony Amstutz, Spectrum's internal vice president,pulled back a red curtain and welcomed students into the Closet ofOppression.
The event was part of Spectrum's People Realizing Our UniqueDifferences Week. The program was designed for students to realizeand understand the discrimination.
"Spectrum hopes everyone comes out of the closet with ... arealistic look at homosexuality and understanding," Amstutzsaid.
Amstutz led groups of eight students through the closet. Theyjourneyed through six scenes, each depicting different reactions togays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders.
One scene portrayed a family sitting down for dinner.
As the mother dished out the food, the father asked his sonabout his day. The son responded that he had met someonespecial.
The father patted his son on the back and joked about girls.
The son, hanging his head, told his parents that his loveinterest was a boy.
The father's huge smile disappeared.
"You are not a f---ing queer," the father shouted as Amstutzclosed the curtain.
"You did not get this from us," students heard him yell.
Other scenes showed a bisexual contemplating how he didn't fitinto either the straight or gay cultures and a girl discussing herfears about her lesbian roommate.
After the scenes, Amstutz led students into a conferenceroom.
Tabitha Rohrer, Spectrum president, and Anita Brown, activismdirector, encouraged students to share their comments about thecloset.
"My coming-out story wasn't anything like that," junior JeffSummer said. "I have a very supportive family. I'm afraid thatpeople who are still in the closet will stay there. "
After a brief discussion, Brown and Rohrer handed studentsmarkers and paper. They asked students to draw themselves and shareadditional stories.
"I'm realistic," Brown said. "I'm not saying attitudes willchange dramatically. I'm hoping before students blurt things outthey'll think things out. "
Spectrum also encouraged students to support one another andlearn to accept their differences.
"I got goosebumps," senior David Sikma said. "It was true tolife. It's sad to see it. When you think about your friends'coming-out stories, you're kind of scared for them. It hits closeto home."
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