Not known for its population of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-sexual (LGBT) students, Fairfield University is making strides to make students aware that the LGBT community does exist, and it is something worth talking about.
This Thursday night marks the premiere of junior Michael Cicirelli’s Project Halo college tour, a program designed to inform and educate students about the LGBT community and the intolerance they so often face.
Project Halo aims to turn Cicirelli’s personal experiences into a proactive forum for discussion about these’ issues. Based on the physical abuse Cicirelli experienced as a result of his sexual orientation, it is designed to explain what it means to be LGBT and to inform students about the negative results their actions may have for those who are LGBT.
Already slated to become part of a college tour, Project Halo has been well received by students and faculty alike. The publicity for Cicirelli’s project has blanketed the campus community; freshmen are encouraged to attend for FYE credit and RAs are creating programs based around Project Halo to ensure that students will go and, ultimately, learn something from Cicirelli’s story.
This is just one more example of Fairfield taking the initiative to promote campus and global awareness of a controversial topic. As a Jesuit university, Fairfield is both testing and shattering the notions that Catholic schools are conservative or disapproving of the LGBT community and consisting of a community that holds those values.
If anyone needed evidence of why Project Halo needs to happen, it can be seen in the Connecticut Post article written about Cicirelli’s project. A reader commented that Project Halo is Cicirelli trying to force his opinion on others, and that he should ‘keep it private.” But this is exactly why Project Halo exists: To prevent this issue from being a secret and to provide a place and time for students to have free discussions about these important issues.
Cicirelli should be commended for his efforts in bringing the LGBT community to the forefront in a positive and informative manner, while also illustrating that Fairfield is and should be tolerant of student’s personal choices, giving true and real meaning to its Jesuit ideals.
This is not a topic that will go away any time soon and therefore it is something that needs to be addressed. Fairfield’s support of Cicirelli’s mission helps prove that we are a university that really is ‘straight but not narrow.’
Leave a Reply