Elaina Eakle
ehe001@marietta.edu
The Alliance hosted its first “Big Gay Block Party” to celebrate the LGBT community on April 9.
Kayleigh Fisher, president of the Alliance, explained that the Block Party was held rather than opposite prom this semester.
“In recent years, [opposite prom] hasn’t been as successful as it once was, so we rebranded and came up with the idea to have a block party,” she said. “We wanted to create a space for the campus and the community to get together and relax and have fun.”
While the event had to be moved indoors due to unseasonable temperatures, MC students still gathered to enjoy food and music. The block party also included a photo booth in which students posed with rainbow flags, leis, and more, to demonstrate their support.
Joe Hohman, adviser of the Alliance, explained that this and other events are intended to further the Alliance’s mission.
“The Alliance exists and puts on events to bring awareness about the LGBT community,” he said. “It also supports students and the campus community for those who identify as LGBT or who are allies.”
Hohman was pleased with the block party, which was especially emotional for him.
“After being the adviser for two years, it was bittersweet for me to attend the event because it was my last Alliance event,” he said. “I will be leaving in May after working for the college for three years. I’ve enjoyed every moment working with this great group of students.”
According to Fisher, the Alliance hopes to make the block party an annual event.
Senior Daley Buckwell believes that Alliance events are important in order to inform MC students of the challenges faced by the LGBT community.
“We need allies who are straight to help us end homophobia and fight for many rights we still don’t have,” she said.
Senior Jessie Hamon agrees that events such as the block party are essential as they allow other students to demonstrate their support of the LGBT community.
“It still amazes me that we as college students cannot accept someone because they are different,” she said. “I am really glad they hosted the party because it allowed them to see that there are people that support them on campus.”
