Today marks the start of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Awareness Month.

Margie Cook, coordinator for the LGBT Resource Center, said LGBT Awareness Month originated in the 1980s as Gay Awareness Day. It then progressed to Gay Awareness Week, she said.

“By the early 1990s, there were so many issues to talk about, it couldn’t be fit into a week,” Cook said.

Cook said LGBT Awareness Month serves two purposes. It provides LGBT students with entertainment and cultural support.

These programs are geared toward their interests, Cook said.

It also exposes students to issues they wouldn’t otherwise know about, Cook said.

Some of the highlights of this month’s events are the film festival, musician Gregory Douglass and the “Gay Jam,” Cook said.

“The Gay Jam will feature a drag variety show,” she said. “It’s a very festive occasion.”

Cook said she encourages all students to come to the LGBT events.

“Our programs offer something for everyone,” she said. Cook said students should not worry about people making assumptions about them.