With National Coming Out Days taking place this week, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally students at Iowa State said the campus is accepting, but could be better.

“Iowa State as a university has been great,” said Jennifer Sanford, student adviser for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Ally Alliance. “There is a large number of student organizations that are supportive of our organization.”

Members of the LGBTAA said the homophobic and racist hate graffiti spray painted on sidewalks during the summer show that tolerance of LGBT students at Iowa State has room for improvement.

“Iowa State is still not as welcoming as it can be,” said Matthew Fender, co-publicity chair for LGBTAA.

Group members try to remain upbeat, however.

“We look at things like that not as what is wrong [at Iowa State], but as what we can work on,” said Sanford, senior in political science. “Every campus could be better – not that [Iowa State] is bad.”

Discussions, food and a rally will be part of National Coming Out Days taking place this Monday to Friday, organized by the LGBTAA and LGBT Student Services.

The events are meant to stress the importance of understanding and supporting LGBT students, Sanford said.

“It’s another chance to be publicly and openly visible on campus and raise awareness and tolerance on campus,” said Fender, sophomore in Spanish.

National Coming Out Days are not only for students to come out, Sanford said.

“It’s celebrating the fact that students are [coming out],” Sanford said. “The individual coming out process is more personal.”

Every day, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals come out, according to the National Coming Out Days Web site.

The two largest events during National Coming Out Days are the “It’s OK With Me” T-shirt campaign, which allows students to show support for the group, and the rally in front of Parks Library on Tuesday, Sanford said.

“The T-shirt campaign helps students give themselves a voice,” Sanford said. “Seeing people wearing the shirts gives a feeling of support.”

Students are encouraged to wear their “It’s OK With Me” T-shirts to the rally, Fender said.

Faculty members will be speaking at the rally, but there will be an open microphone, Sanford said.

National Coming Out Days are not just for LGBT students, Sanford said.

Straight allies are some of the most effective advocates for the LGBT movement, according to the event’s Web site.