It worked.

Jeans Day, one of the most controversial days of the year at NIU, achieved the goal the Gay/Lesbian Union set out to reach: to get people to think.

“The point is some people went out of the way to not wear jeans, so they did recognize the day,” said GLU member Otis Richardson. “That’s it. That’s the meaning.”

Jeans Day is a national event and is held at Illinois State University at Normal and University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana, said GLU President Theresa Brown.

Richardson said Jeans Day was one of the successful events during last week’s Gay Awareness Week, held in conjunction with the GLU’s 20th Anniversary.

“There’s still a lot of misunderstanding about that day,” he said. Jeans Day is set up for people to show their support for human rights.

“People have to make a decision. People have to think about it,” Richardson said.

The GLU held other events during the week including speakers, parties and panel discussions to increase awareness of the homosexuality, Brown said.

Brown and Richardson said education was a goal of the week and is a constant goal of the GLU.

However, the event would better boost homosexual awareness if it was held once a semester instead of once a year, Brown said.

Richardson said he would like the week to have more of a social or political meaning. “People need to be more politically active in terms of education, laws, ordinances and AIDS legislation,” he said.

During this week and all year, members of the GLU spoke to classes about homosexuality, Brown said. Last week she spoke to students in two sociology classes and one philosophy class, she said.

Brown and Richardson said the class discussions are a good way to educate homosexuals and heterosexuals about homosexuality and homophobia. “Taking it one on one” is beneficial to students, Richardson said.

“I see a lot of homophobia on campus,” Brown said. “I’ve seen it more this year than others.”

Richardson said although attendance at the events was mostly homosexuals, there were some hetereosexuals there to educate themselves.