One of the most difficult places on campus to come out is the residence halls, and according to hall directors and members of Iowa State’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Alliance, there are resources available to assist that process.

Residence hall staff, students and LBTAA members discussed ways to make coming out an easier process for residence hall students in a forum on Thursday in Helser Hall’s Chessman Lounge.

The discussion, “Coming Out in the Residence Halls,” was part of National Coming Out Days, an weeklong event supporting LGBT students.

About 25 people attended the event, including 14 hall directors.

Most of the forum was spent addressing how residence hall staff can make the dorms a comfortable environment for both LGBT and straight residents.

Curt Lund, LGBTAA Safe Zone liaison and discussion facilitator, recounted his coming-out experience to show problems students can face in the residence halls.

Lund, junior in graphic design, said he has had nine roommates in five semesters and about the same number of resident assistants.

“It’s been a real roller coaster living there,” Lund said. “These experiences [of harassment] are not as rare as people think.”

He said male floors can sometimes have more problems with “out” students.

“There’s something about guys living together that gets testosterone pumping,” he said.

Steve Wisener, Birch-Welch-Roberts hall director, said it is important for LGBT residents to speak up if they are not comfortable in the residence halls.

“We’re doing what we think is needed in the residence halls,” Wisener said. “Each year we get a new crop of RAs and a new crop of students, so each year we need to assess our communities.”

Participants emphasized the importance of resources for residents who might be dealing with LGBT issues. Lund said people at LGBT Student Services, the Dean of Student Services, hall directors and RAs are all people LGBT students can go to if they are having problems.

Wisener said students should be able to find someone in the residence hall staff if they are having problems living in the dorms.

“We hire a diverse group of students, and their knowledge varies,” he said. “You may not be able to go to your RAs, but there should be someone in the building you feel comfortable with.”

The forum also discussed how RAs can inform residents of LGBT issues. One idea included voluntarily using Safe Zone stickers on doors. These stickers indicate that the residents of the room are open to discussions about LGBT issues.

Other ideas included programs on residence hall floors by RAs, discussions on movies with lesbian and gay themes and having speakers tell their personal experiences.

LGBTAA adviser Jeff Sorenson said not all coming-out experiences in the residence halls are negative. He said his experience was good because he had gotten to know most of the residents before he came out.

“To change people, you have to have a personal interaction,” Sorenson said. “Then people have to be open and comfortable showing that. It’s incredible how it just grows.”