Films such as "The Blessing" and "Saints and Sinners" premiered in Salt Lake City on Sunday to kick off Pride Week. The week is the annual celebration of homosexuality sponsored by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center.
Because of the films' controversial topics of homosexuality and gay rights, "there may not be another chance to see these movies," said Charles Milne, interim coordinator for the resource center.
Other movies, as well as lectures, a rally and a dance, will take place this week.
Many of the activities are geared for any audience, so whether one is gay or straight, all students, staff and faculty will want to participate in this week's festivities, Milne said.
"The ultimate goal of university pride is to challenge people to think from a different viewpoint," he said.
Milne explained that this goal helped to form this year's theme, "Visions of Acceptance."
"It's one thing to say, 'I can tolerate you...as long as I don't have to acknowledge it' [homosexuality]. It's another to embrace others as individuals and as people," he said.
Much of Pride Week's education will focus on gay rights, particularly gay marriage because the issue is receiving a lot of national attention. Several of the films showing this week reflect this focus on marriage.
Milne said he wanted to similarly balance education with entertainment, citing the Indigo Girls concert on Oct. 1 and the Paul Taylor Dance Company performance on Tuesday as examples.
afriz@chronicle.utah.edu
For more information about the week, go to www.sa.utah.edu/lgbt or call 587-7973.
