Author, journalist, comedian to speak about encouraging young LGBT community
The OU CAC Speakers Bureau is hosting author, journalist and comedian Dan Savage on campus to speak about teen bullying and suicide.
The event will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 at the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom, according to the event’s Facebook page. Free food will be provided at 6:30 p.m. before Savage’s keynote at 7 p.m. A moderated question and answer, meet and greet and book signing will follow the keynote, said Alexis Taitel, chair of the CAC Speakers Bureau and international studies junior.
Savage hosted his own show — Savage U — on MTV. He also is the editorial director of “The Stranger,” a Seattle newspaper, and previously headed the advice column in “The Stranger” titled “Savage Love,” said Callie Hewett, a member of the CAC Speakers Bureau Executive Committee and international studies junior, in an email.
In 2010, Savage started the “It Gets Better Project” after he and his partner, Terry Miller, created a YouTube video to encourage young members of the LGBT community facing harassment. “It Gets Better” seeks to remind teens in the LGBT community that they are not alone and things will get better if they can make it through the teenage years, according to the website.
In addition to speaking about bullying and suicide among teens in the LGBT community, he also will discuss his “no barred” approach to love and relationships, Hewett said.
The event is free to students and the public and no RSVP is required. However, those who wish to attend are encouraged to RSVP on the CAC Facebook event, Taitel said.
“I think that Dan Savage’s message is really applicable to college students and also the Norman community in general,” Taitel said. “Although it caters to the LGBT community, his message really is one of inspiration and hope, and I think no matter what students are going through, it will be beneficial for them to hear his message and see that they can also overcome adversity.”
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