2008 Woodie Awards
Breaking through GLASS ceiling
Britt Yu
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: Features
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Originally called the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, GLASS was founded in 1977, eight years after the infamous Stonewall Riots, the New York incident that arguably jumpstarted the gay rights movement.
"We want to bring more awareness and more tolerance to the Baruch community. It is a very diverse community and we're just another part of it," said Kevin Ng, sophomore and president of the club. "We also want to provide somewhere, like an outlet, for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual to come and just talk."
Meetings are every Thursday in Room 4-190 in the Vertical Campus. The topics range from politics to friendly small talk. There is a discussion on the delicate and personal topic of an individual's sexuality. Like most support groups, the club takes on a closed-door policy and no one is ever forced to talk.
"Whatever is said in the room stays in the room because some of the information is very personal," Ng explained.
GLASS can also provide resources and contact information to various organizations and help lines in case a person wants further assistance for a more personal service.
Currently, at over 150 e-mail addresses, the mailing list is "always increasing," according to Ng, an international marketing major. The club changed their name from GALA to GLASS in order let the student body know they welcome people of all sexual orientations. Like any club and organization, it's important for GLASS members to be comfortable with each other.
"Socialize is the biggest thing for me. The crew here is such a mix. Not everybody's gay," said Mario Rivera, a senior and global studies major. "You have the athlete, you have the scholar, you have the party animal, the joker, the serious kind. You know things about each other and you make good friends here."
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