A new aspect of this year’s Homecoming parade will include a truck decorated by members of NIU’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Coalition (LGBC).

The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m., Oct. 16. The procession will begin on Lincoln Highway from Third Street to Castle Drive, up Castle Drive to College Avenue, over to Gilbert Drive, up Gilbert Drive to Lucinda Avenue, ending in the tailgating area.

LGBC co-president Brian Turkaly said in the three years he’s been involved with the group they haven’t done anything like this.

“I think they may have done something like this in previous years,” Turkaly said. “It just depends on how much interest there is and how many people are willing to help out.”

Turkaly said the LGBC won’t be decorating their truck according to this year’s theme of the wild West. “We want it to be colorful, but not too extravagant or extreme,” Turkaly added. “We won’t be up there in our thongs or cross-dressed.”

The organization hopes to decorate a truck donated by one of their members with the gay-lesbian flag and some symbols associated with the gay-lesbian movement.

The flag resembles a rainbow and some of the symbols include a pink triangle and some Greek letters.

The organization hopes to have enough people interested in riding in the truck. Kerri Price, co-president of the LGBC, said so far 10 people have expressed an interest, but “at least Brian and I will be riding in the truck.”

Turkaly said the truck is a good way of getting visibility for the LGBC and to be active in an NIU event. “Hopefully we won’t get any flack from people,” Price said. “We’re a student organization and we have every right to participate.”

Price said the truck is also a good way to make the presence of the LGBC known and to let people know they are not ashamed. “It’s also a good way to have some fun,” she concluded.