To continue educating and informing students about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, Iowa State’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Alliance will be kicking off National Coming Out Days today.

The weeklong celebration concludes on Oct. 14 and is centered around National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.

“[The purpose is] to encourage lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders to be open and honest about their sexual orientation,” said Jeff Sorensen, LGBTAA adviser and Computation Center employee. “Everyone knows someone who is gay or lesbian; they just don’t know it yet.”

National Coming Out Days also allow people to share their beliefs, said Christina Jens, LGBTAA special projects coordinator and senior in women’s studies.

“I look at National Coming Out Days as a way to make our presence known and to celebrate the fact that we are what we are,” Jens said. “To educate people and give them time to make them comfortable in coming out about who they are.”

The theme of this year’s celebration is “The Art of Out.”

“[The purpose of the theme is] to recognize the fact that being out is an art form in itself. There are several different ways in which you can communicate it,” Jens said. “Sometimes it’s said that ‘there’s an art to everything,’ and there is an art to being out.”

As part of the week’s activities, there will be an informational festival today telling students about area organizations sympathetic to gay issues. It will held north of the Campanile from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other National Coming Out Days events include:

• On Wednesday, a National Coming Out Days Rally will be held north of the Campanile from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Speakers will talk about gay issues.

• On Thursday, a bisexuality forum will be held at The Maintenance Shop at 3 p.m., and “Dykes to Watch Out For!” author Alison Bechdel will speak in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union at 8 p.m.

• On Friday, a casual National Coming Out Days Dance is scheduled for 10 p.m. in the Atrium of Design Building, and KKDM radio station will be the DJ. The cost is $2, with all proceeds going to fund the week’s events.

• On Monday, there is a panel discussion on “Growing Up Queer in America” at 3 p.m., and an Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Both events will be held at The M-Shop in the Memorial Union.

• The Second Annual Alliance Ally Recognition and Coming Out as an Ally Panel Discussion will be held Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union.

LGBTAA members said they expect between 100 and 150 people to attend the larger events.

“We definitely expect a good turnout,” Jens said.

However, she said the group does not expect a large number of students to “come out” as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender during the week.

“It’s kind of a personal preference,” Jens said.