Campus Community Participates in Gay? Fine By Me™ T-Shirt Project

Lexington, Virginia • May 2, 2008

Students, faculty and staff taking part in the second annual Gay? Fine By Me™ T-Shirt Project at W&L gathered for a group photo on Wednesday, April 30.

Student organizers distributed over 700 free t-shirts on campus in just two days--besting last year's showing of 500 shirts in five days--and encouraged those participating to wear them on April 30 in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community.

"I was incredibly happy with the participation and turnout for the photo, and I have received nothing but positive feedback from people in all areas of the campus community," said Will Chamberlain '08, organizer of the event and president of W&L's Gay-Straight Alliance. "For me, there is no better way to finish my time here than watching the overwhelming success we had with the campaign."

Following the group photo, Jason Knight, former Naval Petty Officer 2nd Class, gave a talk on "Don't Ask Don't Tell." Knight is currently a communications associate at the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a national, non-profit legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and related forms of intolerance.

The Gay? Fine By Me™ T-Shirt Project started at Duke University in Spring 2003. Fine By Me incorporated as a nonprofit in 2005, and is now based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit http://www.finebyme.org.