Spectrum Alliance provides safe atmosphere

The Troy University Spectrum Alliance held a photo shoot Tuesday night to promote the NOH8 Campaign.

Students wore white T-shirts and wrote “NOH8” in red and black ink on each other’s cheeks.

The NOH8 Campaign is a national campaign designed to promote marriage, gender, and human equality through visual protest, educating the public and celebrity advocacy.

“We wanted to do something that was activist based,” said Tyler Ray, the president of Troy University Spectrum Alliance and senior choral music education major from Georgiana, “The NOH8 Campaign is something that everyone can get behind. We’re still trying to figure out what this organization is going to be. Some Spectrum Alliances are activist based, others are more social based, so we’re trying to figure out which direction we want to go in.”

The Spectrum Alliance has grown exponentially within the past year, boasting a diverse membership.

“I’m married and was born and raised Southern Baptist,” said Meg Zaboski, a sophomore nursing major from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, “I’m in the Alliance because it’s more than a group for the LGBT. There is a safe zone here in Troy and it’s in this club. There is no judgment. There are lifelong friends here.”

“This past year, we had 10 to 12 people attend our meetings,” said Ray, “This year, we have had an average of 40 people attend, so we wanted to engage the people who were coming regularly with this campaign. The purpose of the Spectrum Alliance is for all people to feel welcome and to be themselves and to feel accepted on the Troy University campus.”

Amber Richards, a graduate student from Troy studying post-secondary education said, “I think that it is important for us to join in the campaign to raise awareness about how detrimental bullying is. It’s not as harmless as many people think.”

Other activities the Spectrum Alliance plans on holding this semester include an audience participation viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

“It will be $5 at the door and another dollar if you want a prop packet. It’s not to raise a lot of money, but to get our name out there,” said Ray

The viewing will also have a costume contest.

“We will also have our annual ‘Thanksgayving’. We had over 100 attend last year and hope to have more attend this year,” said Ray.

The Troy University Spectrum Alliance meets every Tuesday at 7:00 in Trojan Center room 224 and can be contacted via email at GSA@troy.edu or on their Facebook page under the name Troy University Spectrum Alliance.