In an effort to educate the NIU community about homosexuality the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Coalition (LGBC) will sponsor several events for “Gay Lesbian Bisexual Awareness Week.”

Today’s events include a LGBC open house from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Illinois Room of the Holmes Student Center and a presentation of six short films at 7 p.m. in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the HSC.

The film presentation is called “We Come From all Cultures: Diversity in the Lesbian and Gay Community” and is a joint program with Latino Cultural Awareness Month and Asian Awareness Month.

These films are aimed at making students aware that gays and lesbians exist in every culture.

The six films that will be shown are “Exposure” (8 minutes), “Honored by the Moon” (15 minutes), “Love with a Little L” (22 minutes), “Sex and the Sandinistas” (25 minutes), “Out in Suburbia: The Stories of Eleven Lesbians” (28 minutes) and “Khush” (24 minutes).

Rich Rice, co-adviser of the LGBC said, “We don’t want people to get scared when they hear there will be six films—they’re actually very short.”

Tuesdays events include a panel discussion, “Being an Ally” at noon in room 110 of Watson Hall and a performance by comedian Marcia Wilkie at 9 p.m. in Diversions.

The panel discussion will consist of a student, a faculty member and an administrator who will share their feelings and experiences of being allies for lesbians, gays and bisexuals.

“They will talk about how to demonstrate that you’re supportive,” Rice said.

“The discussion is especially for people who have to deal with gays and lesbians in their positions and how to deal with them,” Brian Turkaly, president of the LGBC said.

Wilkie will do a one-woman performance depicting a cast of various characters, but with an emphasis on lesbian material said Tara Moyle, a member of the LGBC.

“Most of her stuff is funny, but she deals with political and other substantial points by playing out a scene with various characters,” Moyle said. “She deals with difficult material in a way that makes it palatable.

“She’s real and down to earth and addresses a lot of things we deal with everyday,” she said.

On Wednesday, “Sex/Love/Stories” will be performed at 8 p.m. at the Player’s Theatre in the Stevens Building.

The play is a performance by Tim Miller who will address what it was like growing up and out of Whittier, California.

Miller was one of the four artists whose funding was taken away from them by the National Endowment for the Arts a few years ago, but he sued the NEA and got it back Rice said.

“His performance is about growing up in Nixon-land and coming to consciousness,” Rice said. “Tim is a performance activist.

“This is a real opportunity to see someone a lot of people elsewhere have seen,” he said.

On the bill for Thursday is a panel discussion about bisexuality at noon in room 110 of Watson Hall and “Listening, Loving, Learning” a presentation by Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) at 7:30 p.m. at University Resources for Women, 105 Normal Road.

The panel discussion speakers will be a bisexual man and woman and a member of the Counseling and Student Development Center who will address the psychological aspects of being bisexual.

PFLAG will show a video that explores the experiences and concerns of family members of lesbians and gays, followed by an open discussion to help lesbians, gays and their families understand and communicate with each other.

Friday there will be a presentation about “Creating a Positive Climate for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People” at 12 p.m. at University Resources for Women, “Queer Edward II” at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Hall and a LGBC Dance.

The “Creating a Positive Climate for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People” discussion will address how people can recognize and challenge homophobia and heterosexism in their daily lives.

“Queer Edward II” is a movie based on the classic 16th century tragedy about a young king who is destroyed by his wife’s jealousy and his male lover’s desire for power.

“Gay Lesbian Bisexual Awareness Week is important because it gives students an opportunity to learn about other cultures,” Moyle said. “On campus there is such a diverse group of students and we all need to get along.”

“This is just a celebration of our own uniqueness and a chance to bring performers to campus that appeal to gays and lesbians,” Turkaly said. “It’s also a chance to educate the heterosexual community about our lives.”

Moyle added, “It’s a chance for us to laugh. Often it’s hard to get an event like this going.”