Tag Archives: National Coming Out Day

NCOD: The Olin Files

Out of the closet and into Olin.

When National Coming Out Day hits Wes, it hits hard. Queer kiss-ins at Wesleyan date back at least as far as 2004, when The Argus published Zach Goldstein ’05’s Wespeak, “Reach Out and Kiss Someone.” For Goldstein, an Olin kiss-in wasn’t enough: the author directed queers to Freeman, to NorthCo, the Davenport (aww), and to MoCon (aaaawwww), kissing all the live-long day. Key quote:

We can’t chalk, but we were queer before Crayola came along. We can grope, squeeze, pull, lick, suck, fuck, strap on, rip off, tie up, tear down, reject, revolt, talk, write, sing, scream, re-appropriate, play, pull, push, and turn heteronormativity on its head.

Then, more recently, there was the 2009 Olin kiss-in: the chalking, the group photo, the ARE YOU FUCKED? sign-ups.

Continue reading →

Coming Out Day: Olin Kiss-In Recap

On the night of October 11, I found myself in an ironic moment of sorts. I was sitting in Olin doing some preliminary research for my eight-page Biology of Women paper (Topic: Evaluating studies that claim a gay man’s brain is similar to that of a straight female’s) when I saw a girl run into the common room and shout, “HAPPY NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY!”

queer1

A group of (mostly female) Wesleyan students ran in following the shout, spread themselves amongst the long Olin tables, and initiated a kiss-in. Students from the third and second floors came rushing to their windows to watch. Most of us broke into applause and hooted during the celebratory moment.

queer2

The kiss-in was only a small part of that night, wherein the steps in front of Olin and Usdan were chalked.

queer3

queer4

After the event, someone created this sheet that I happily obliged to pass around.  John Hancocks of the fucked.  Sunday nights at Olin.  ‘Nough said.

queer6

queer5

When National Coming Out Day and Admissions Open House combine . . .

. . . wide-eyed prospective students get a slightly different view of Wes than Admissions may have planned:

Seriously—it was awesome seeing prefrosh families gawking (or smiling) at the chalking all day. (Though I haven’t heard any reports of mass queer make-out sessions in the middle of Information Sessions . . . ) Happy belated National Coming Out Day.