Signs that said “straight but not narrow,” “stand up straight for equal rights,” and “equal love, equal rights” set the stage for activists to speak out on behalf of marriage equality.

Thirty-five ISU students and Ames community members gathered in front of the campanile to hear speakers and listen to bands Tuesday night.

The night marked the second annual Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights, a nationwide event for straight Americans to express their support of equality for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual Americans.

The campaign runs for a week, in which each participating city chooses a night to hold a vigil. According to the organization’s Web site, www.sevenstraightnights.org, the purpose of the week-long celebration is to provide a “national event that will provide straight Americans with opportunities to do justice and motivate new allies to stand up and be counted for equal rights.”

Michelle Garland, an Ames resident, coordinated the night as the Action Leader for both years of the event, terming it “a coming out for straight people.”

She said she was asked to organize the event because she is not only a straight ally, but is also “religious” and wants to stand up for equality.

Garland first became aware of the importance of equality when she attended a lecture on a book about coming out and was worried people would think she was a lesbian.

“I was fearful that I could possibly be harassed,” she said. “If I fear that as a straight person, I can only imagine what the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community feels every day. I want to stand up and do what’s right.”

First to speak was Ellen Fairchild, lecturer in curriculum and instruction, emphasizing why she works to speak out on behalf of marriage equality.

“We have the opportunity to work together to achieve peace. We have the opportunity to change who we are and what we believe; that is why I do this work,” Fairchild said. “I want to make others believe we can change the world.”

Among these and other reasons, she said, she does this work for her four grandchildren, who are of different races, and for her fifth grandchild, who will be born in March.

“I want my grandbaby to enter a world with better opportunity and more love,” she said.

Also present to speak was Rabbi David Kaufman of Temple B’nai Jeshurun, in Des Moines, who emphasized that one of the challenges marriage equality activists face today is to get people to understand and to “feel comfortable about what gay rights are about.”

“I believe we are all created the way we are supposed to be. I’m not arguing against God, I’m just saying God made us who we are,” Kaufman said. “Love is the same for two men or two women. We should get people to care for each other.”

He emphasized that equality for all people should be brought about through righteousness and not blind justice.

“I don’t think the government should be marrying anybody,” he said with a loud response from the crowd. “If we’re going to have marriage, there needs to be marriage equality.”

Allison Grossi, freshman in biology-Agriculture and Life Sciences, was there to show her support for equal rights, wearing a green “It’s OK with me T-shirt.”

“I think this will open some eyes, because a lot of people here don’t think about equal rights,” Grossi said. “Hopefully people will hear the speakers and the music and realize it’s important.”

Brandon Lash, sophomore in open option-Liberal Arts and Sciences, was at the event mainly for the music, but realizes that it was for a good cause.

“I think people definitely need to listen up a little more,” he said. “It’s definitely underappreciated.”

Seven Nights for Equality is nationally sponsored by Atticus Circle, that, according to their Web site, is a national non-profit organization that focuses on education and policy development for equal rights for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual Americans. It is also sponsored by Soulforce, that, according to their Web site, is a national social justice and civil rights organization that focuses on freedom from religious and political oppression of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual Americans.