Hundreds of Temple students and employees, many of them wearing brightly colored "Gay? It's OK!" t-shirts, joined representatives of more than a dozen student and community organizations at the Bell Tower on Thursday for a resource fair and rally in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexual and allied students.

The rally was the high point of National Coming Out Week, the first large-scale, university-sponsored celebration of LGBTQIA student life at Temple in the week leading up to National Coming Out Day on Sunday, Oct. 11.

"I was excited about how many people came and listened to us," said Temple senior Kate Moriarty, vice president of the Queer Student Union (QSU), the largest LGBTQIA student organization at the university and co-creators of Temple's National Coming Out Week. "We're here because we're committed to starting a progressive dialogue with the rest of the Temple community."

QSU and university leaders say that LGBTQIA student interest and activism are on the rise at Temple. Senior Keith Davis, president of QSU, said that 70 to 100 members attend QSU meetings and about 600 people subscribe to the organization's listserv — both all-time highs.

At the rally, QSU members were joined by leaders from across the university on a stage decorated by a rainbow arc of balloons. Among those expressing support were representatives from the event's co-organizers, Student Activities and University Housing & Residential Life, as well as Campus Safety Services.

"Diversity is a very important part of the Temple experience, but it's not just about race and ethnicity," said Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Students Betsy Leebron Tutelman, one of the campus leaders on stage at the rally. "I'm pleased that Coming Out Week is helping to give LGBTQIA students a voice."

Other highlights of the week have included giveaways of "Gay? It's OK!" t-shirts designed especially for National Coming Out Week, a program on LGBTQIA images in the media and a "Come Out, Speak Out!" event at the Owl Cove in Mitten Hall. Many Temple students will attend a house ball at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, N.J., on Saturday as well as OutFest and other National Coming Out Day events in Philadelphia on Sunday.