With the beginning of national Gay and Lesbian History Month this October, members of the ISU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Alliance are celebrating how far the group has come. Jeff Sorensen, former adviser of the LGBTAA, said the ISU chapter was started almost 30 years ago and has become much more accepted on campus. Sorensen said the group was meeting in the Sloss House with only 10 people and was not advertising its meetings when he arrived on campus in 1991. “When I first came on to campus, there was a distinct hostility to LGBTAA issues,” he said. He said there would sometimes be counter-demonstrations during the first LGBTAA rallies. However, he said that type of atmosphere has changed drastically with services such as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services and the Safe Zone project. In Safe Zone project, members of the ISU community place a sticker on their door, signifying the room is a place to talk about LGBT issues. “The Safe Zone project has been a dramatic improvement of atmosphere on campus,” Sorensen said. Jeremy Hayes, president of the LGBTAA, also said the new programs have helped. “The Safe Zone project is amazing,” said Hayes, junior in management information systems. “Students say they feel more comfortable when they see that on a professor’s door.” LGBTSS coordinator Travis Greene said the project has become popular among members of the ISU community. “It started four years ago [at Iowa State], just as a way to send a message trying to make this campus feel a little more supportive and inclusive toward LGBT,” he said. “Since then the reviews have been wonderful, very popular. We’ve given out over 3,500 stickers.” Greene said the Safe Zone project started during the 1980s and that Iowa State is one of over 100 colleges with it in place. He said part of what makes Iowa State’s Safe Zone project unique is that people are not given stickers by the university but must ask for them, showing their genuine interest in the issue. Greene said positive changes have also spread to include faculty and staff through such programs as same-sex insurance through the university. “We now have sexual orientation included into the non-discrimination clause for hiring and for admissions procedures,” he said. “We’ve had domestic-partner benefits offered in the past, but this year for the first time it’s at the same rate as someone who is legally married.” Greene said Iowa State has also started several other projects to support LGBT students, including scholarships from the Small Victories program for LGBTAA members and Lavender Graduation. He said Lavender Graduation, which began three years ago, recognizes the academic achievements of LGBT students. “Last year we had a record-breaking 20 people. [Former] President [Martin] Jischke and Vice President [for Student Affairs Thomas] Hill were in attendance, so that was wonderful,” he said. Greene said he also is working on expanding the programs into the greek chapters and adding a support group for minority LGBT students. “The Iowa State campus has been seen as more open and accepting of diversity,” he said. “The campus has changed where the support has become more visible and we have had an office for LGBTSS since 1992, which shows institutional support.”