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On Tuesday, Oct. 4, a lone door stood in a frame near the fountain. It represented the closet door for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students, celebrating National Coming Out Day.
But the door in the frame is a light-hearted representation of a national controversy. Two fronts have emerged since the millennium passed, which were nationally covered in an October issue of Time magazine. The first is the steadily increasing gay youth. Its opposite, mostly a Christian movement, is called the ex-gays.
Ten years ago, they reported, churches closed their doors to the homosexual world. That was their answer to, as UNCG student Matt Hill said, "the epidemic." Today, however, those doors have opened, and arms are widespread. Hill, describing the ex-gay movement, said, "Their ideology is: being gay is not natural, it is a sin, but not an abomination that can't be changed; homosexuals need healing."
Hill, 19, is business manager of PRIDE! and in his second year as a history major. He came out to his mother at age 14, in April 2000. Shortly after, he whispered to his friend in class that he was gay. Though Hill had planned to come out slowly, his friend's reaction was not quiet. A couple days later, the entire middle school knew.
Ever since, he has been known for his righteous rallies and outspoken nature. "I've always been outspoken," Hill said. "I was taught to be outspoken in what I believe in. And I stood up for all the people that didn't have a voice."
Hill described his family as Southern Baptist, conservative, and very racist. Their acceptance was non-existent. His mother's reaction was "You're going to Hell." His father wouldn't say a word about it. Then, Hill said with a grin, his parents divorced the next summer.
"I haven't had to deal with two parents," he said. "Just one."
Young people like Hill have created a wave of worry for the conservatives. In the late 90s, there were only 100 gay-straight alliances (GSA) in high schools in the country, Time reported. That number has since gone up to 3000. The conservative response is the ex-gay movement.
Exodus International, the largest Christian organization against same-sex attractions, holds camps for people of all ages who are gay but don't want to be gay. A quarter of their million-dollar budget is aimed at the youth.
One of Hill's friends went through the ex-gay movement. At that time his self-esteem was down, Hill said. "It does a whole lot to your psyche."
It was an experience that has led Hill's friend to become an active part of PRIDE!
"He's now far away from the church," Hill said. "I've gotten closer, but most people get further. I can't really explain why."
Brad Johnson, 33, a co-advisor of PRIDE!, had his own coming-out experience.
"It stifles your growth in college, if you're not comfortable with who you are." Johnson describes his experience as an evolution that occurred when he was 27 and 28.
He doesn't go around waving a rainbow flag. But when confronted, Johnson responds honestly and positively about his sexual orientation.
"I haven't really encountered anything negative," he said. "I have the full support of my department, and my division, and I think this university is fairly good about doing that, at least from a faculty-staff stand point. And for the most part, from a student standpoint." Johnson is Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life.
He attributes the growing number of out-of-the closet teenagers partly to President Bush and his agenda against gay marriage. "Our leaders are trying to suppress us, but we're not the two-headed monsters that people are making us out to be."
Because of the issues, students are making a connection. Johnson said that connection is "this is who I am. I am an individual with certain rights."
Hill agrees, commenting that Coming Out Day is a time to celebrate pride in oneself. It's a time to not feel guilty.
"But it's also to let the straight community know that there are gay students at this university."
The door, donated by Dave Wood Construction, was filled with signatures and comments of over a hundred people.