With the goal of raising awareness of LGBTQ issues and making related conversations more comfortable around campus, Pride Alliance is hosting Out Week, a series of events that begins Friday. 

Throughout next week, discussions and information sessions will provide forums for conversations around these issues. The week will be bookended with lighter events — a dance and laser tag. It precedes the 43rd annual Atlanta Pride Festival, one of the country’s largest LGBTQ events, which will be held Oct. 12-13 in Piedmont Park.

“I am most excited about the Acceptance Fair,” said Kate Harlan, a computer science major and president of Pride Alliance. “We’re hosting more than 30 groups that are a mix of accepting student organizations, campus departments, and Atlanta-area LGBTQ-related organizations.” The fair will also include a photo area where students can take their photo at a “coming out door.”

Out Week will take place both on and off campus, with sign-ups for carpools to off-campus events available at pride.gatech.edu. 

Full list of the week’s events:

• Friday, Oct. 4: Big Gay Out Dance (black/white theme), 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., Under the Couch, Student Center
• Saturday, Oct. 5: AIDS Quilt, 9:30 a.m. – noon, depart from Student Center (sign up at pride.gatech.edu)
• Sunday, Oct. 6: Nondenominational religious service, 3 p.m., Wesley Foundation
• Monday, Oct. 7: Acceptance Fair, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Tech Walk
• Monday, Oct. 7: Trans*Forming the Conversation: A Discussion for EveryBody, 7:30 – 9 p.m., Women’s Resource Center
• Tuesday, Oct. 8: Pride Alliance General Meeting: Coming Out Conversations, 7 p.m., Klaus 2443
• Wednesday, Oct. 9: Advice from Alumni, 7 - 8:30 p.m., Clough 325
• Thursday, Oct. 10: Laser Tag, 6:30 p.m., depart from Student Center (sign up at pride.gatech.edu)