Open Doors is holding the "Big Gay Dance" this weekend to create a safe, fun space for LGBTQ individuals.
It’s not every day that an LGBTQ-identified individual can walk up to someone at the bar and flirt.
Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St., is opening its doors for Open Doors, an LGBTQ organization, to host “The Big Gay Stoplight Dance,” an event to create a safe place for LGBTQ individuals to come and let loose.
“Because we do wind up in quite hetero-normative spaces, there’s always that fear of ‘Can I hit on this person?’” said Bo Lewis, co-chair of the organization. “When you’re in a setting like we’re creating with the stoplight party, it can kind of cut through the whole awkward ‘do they want to be approached? Do they not want to be approached?’ It really cuts through a lot of red tape.”
Open Doors participates in fundraisers and hosts events such as these dances and speakers. The money raised funds field trips, bringing in speakers and T-shirts for its members.
Each Wednesday meeting includes planning for future events and then a discussion.
Lewis, a senior studying women, genders and sexuality studies, said Open Doors has become her adoptive family throughout her college career.
“Open Doors provides you with a really accepting and space to be yourself,” Lewis said. “No matter how you identify, we don’t turn people away. ...I didn’t have that really before I joined.”
Open Doors used to host a lot more dances throughout the year. However after the Union Street Fire occurred on Nov. 16, Casa Nueva had to take on a lot of the entertainment that Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery provided. This meant less availability for Open Doors to host dances.
What sets this night apart is the recent addition to the theme: a stoplight party. This means the color you wear corresponds to what you’re looking out for at the party. Green means you’re ready to mingle, yellow means to proceed with caution, red is taken and purple is looking for something strictly platonic.
Delfin Bautista, director of the LGBT Center, said it’s important to create spaces on and off campus for people to be themselves. Casa Nueva is a “safe place” and LGBT-friendly, Bautista said.
Michael “DJ Barticus” Bart will be the disc jockey for the event. He said he has played Open Doors dances in the past and is excited that he is back at the event. He said the great thing about Open Doors dances is the eclectic music he gets to play, as to when he is a disc jockey for a lot of theme nights and on the radio as a disco disc jockey on 106.7.
“Open Doors nights have a really fun energy,” Bart said.
For ages 18 to 20, the cover charge is $5 and $3 for ages 21-and-up. Lewis said she hopes everyone has a good time and just enjoys being together.
“We’re a fun group of people and we want to see (people who come to the night) again,” Lewis said. “If they liked dancing with us, they should stop by our meetings.”
Another dance should be occurring in May, Lewis said.
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