Delta Zeta, Zeta Beta Tau and Phi Kappa Psi will host a panel of PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays speakers on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at the Soroptimist House.
The panel will consist of one parent of a lesbian or gay child, a lesbian or gay person and a transgender speaker.
“[This panel] is not to change peoples’ views,” said Kelsey Anderson, a sophomore liberal arts major from Delta Zeta. “It’s meant to be purely informational, explain that people on our campus are different … and to just stay tolerant of those people.”
Anderson said Delta Zeta is responsible for hosting a diverse speaker event every year. This year, the sorority wanted to invite speakers with a slightly different focus from the type of panel they usually host.
“Diversity is not just [about] how people look but what they are about,” she said.
The PFLAG Speakers Bureau is a nonprofit organization that provides panels of three to five speakers to various places. According to the PFLAG website, “books, pamphlets and news articles are a good start to educating society about LGBT issues, but they pale when compared to the power of personal experience.”
Speakers will also address the attack to a transgender student at Cal State Long Beach campus that reportedly occurred on April 15. Anderson said the event could make more people aware of the attack.
“Hopefully we can find the guy who did that,” Anderson said. “Maybe this will help.”
This event is open to all campus organizations and anyone who is interested in attending. Refreshments will be provided.
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