In hopes of raising awareness and educating Iowa State students, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Alliance is sponsoring “LGBT Awareness Week 1999.”

The weeklong celebration kicked off Monday with a LBGT awareness rally held north of the Campanile. About 15 people attended the event.

Scott Reichmann, freshman in pre-engineering, attended the rally in support of the LGBT community.

“The more that we’re visible on campus, the less isolated we feel, including me,” he said.

Dennis Macdonald, sophomore in art and design, also attended the rally. He said he believes education about LGBT issues will make for a “better society.”

“[These events] educate people; they basically make it so people are more accepting of who you are and not really your preferences,” he said.

Jeff Sorensen, LGBTAA adviser, said one of the week’s purposes is to get people to dispel the myths surrounding gays and lesbians.

“The stereotype doesn’t fit all; we are as diverse as the heterosexual community,” said Sorensen, senior in computer science.

Sorensen said the membership of LGBTAA reflects this “diversity.”

“Within the last eight years, we moved from a group that had 12 to 15 gay, white males to a group that’s well over a couple of hundred,” he said. “We have people of color; we have bisexuals; we have a variety of sub-groups.”

LGBTAA President Angie Chipman said LGBT Awareness Week 1999 serves as a chance for people to become educated about the LGBT community.

“If we reach one person, we’ve done our job,” said Chipman, junior in psychology.

Chipman also said she believes the climate on campus for LGBT students has improved.

“There are definitely more people out on campus,” she said. However, Chipman noted that it can be hard to get students to pay attention to LGBT issues.

“People on this campus are so apathetic about issues, unless you’re in their face,” she said.

Sorensen agreed that students are becoming more sympathetic to LGBT issues.

“Change is slow, but it is moving in the right direction,” he said.

Chipman also said she wants LGBT Awareness Week to be a positive social event.

“I want Alliance members to have a good time, to have the opportunity to be out and be themselves on campus,” she said.

Some of the events planned for LGBT Awareness Week 1999 include:

• On Tuesday, “Creative Coming Out Stories,” held at noon in Room 236 of the Memorial Union.

Also, “Christianity and Homosexuality,” will be held at 7 p.m. in the Pioneer Room of the MU. Panelists include Ev “God-Socks” Cherrington, Tim Borseth, Pastor Dave Bovenmeyer, Pastor Steve Sabin, Rev. Beverly Thompson-Travis and Rev. Brian Esslinger.

• On Wednesday, “Homosexuality and the Greek System” will be held at noon in Room 244/246 of the MU.

The LGBTAA meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Cardinal Room of the MU; this week’s topic is “Queer Parenting.”

• On Thursday, “Reverse Campaniling” will be held at noon at the Campanile. Sorensen said the event isn’t just for same-sex couples, and he encouraged heterosexual couples to participate in the event.

• On Friday, “Great, I’m an Ally; Now What the Heck Do I Do?” will be held at noon in Room 248 of the MU.

All events are free and open to the public.