“Conservative Coming Out Week” raises questions

April 26 through 30 marked the University of Northern Iowa’s College Republicans’ “Conservative Coming Out Week.”

The College Republicans’ Facebook event detailed the group’s intentions.

“We will be celebrating the fact that we, UNI CR’s, are sick and tired of getting ‘progressive/quasi-socialist’ legislation and propaganda shoved down our throats, so here’s an opportunity to have some fun as we show the campus that we exist, and we’re not afraid to say it,” reads the Facebook event page.

The page goes on to name the events for the week.

Monday, participants wore red to show their support. Tuesday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. people chalked UNI sidewalks with famous quotes from conservative politics. Wednesday was “stand up to your favorite liberal professor day” and Thursday was “fiscally conservative bowling night” at Cadillac Lanes.

The week ends with an “Animals Rights Grill Out” in front of the Towers Center on the UNI campus from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday.

The event has bolstered both support and outcry from both sides of the political spectrum, with students claiming to partake in the event on other college campus like Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, and others finding the events offensive.

Kyle Woollums, a sophomore Spanish and French education major, is the director of public relations for UNI PROUD.

“The term ‘coming out’ is most frequently associated with the (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) movement,” said Wollums. “It’s not necessarily offensive to use the term, but it’s unfortunate that the UNI College Republicans feel as though they must ‘come out’ in order to be heard.

“Here at UNI, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students must come out to their peers and professors each and every day,” Wollums continued. “Coming out as LGBT is a major emotional step in our lives.

“Unfortunately, we face harassment on this campus simply because of who we are. Equating ‘coming out’ as LGBT and ‘coming out’ as a conservative hurts many of the LGBT people on this campus because we have struggled so long socially and emotionally with our sexuality,” Wollums concluded.

Though he supports all voices having the chance to be heard, Woollums also feels the week is focused on attacking others for their beliefs instead of promoting conservatism at UNI.

“If it has any impact, I believe it will be one negative to their cause due to the underlying negativity of their members and events,” said Woollums.

The College Republicans, at press time, was not available for comment despite numerous attempts to contact the organization.

Chris Outzen, a junior general communication major, considers himself a moderate independent.

“I think the message (the College Republicans) are trying to send is that it’s OK to be a conservative in a predominately liberal society,” Outzen said. “However, I feel that the rhetoric they have used has turned it into a liberal attack week, as a way for conservatives to take revenge for their typically negative portrayal.”

Outzen believes the week had a well-intended goal, but it just wasn’t executed correctly.

For more information on the College Republicans, visit its Web site at www.uni.edu/studentorgs/unicr.