The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of Virginia Tech has announced the opening of an innovative new campus resource center that will be the first of its kind in the New River Valley.

The grand opening of Virginia Tech's LGBT Resource Center will be Friday, Aug. 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. in 304 Squires Student Center.

Guest speakers include Emily Machack, Student Body President, and Ray Williams, Director of Multicultural Programs and Services. Everyone is invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.

The new LGBT Resource Center will be located on the third floor of Squires Student Center in room 304. Over the next few months, Virginia Tech and volunteer members of the student-led organization will be working together to prepare this space for its new mission to better serve the growing LGBT community of Virginia Tech and the surrounding area.

While the center's primary focus will be to provide a safe space for gay and lesbian students faculty and staff to study and socialize as a community, it will also house a growing resource library including pamphlets, books, DVDs, and other media on important lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender topics such as coming out and safe sex. In addition, the resource center will offer DVDs and books that focus on explaining lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender issues and history in an effort to educate, foster communication and understanding, and shed light on an often misrepresented segment of society.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of Virginia Tech believes this resource center will be critical for members of the gay and lesbian community. Many of the resources it offers are extremely important, but also often very sensitive and difficult to obtain. All materials in the resource center will be available to faculty and students at no charge and all efforts will be made to respect the privacy of the individual.

For additional information on the LGBT Resource Center, e-mail Paul Deyerle.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of Virginia Tech has worked for years through different incarnations to promote tolerance and to build a bridge between students with alternate lifestyles and the more main stream student body, and to make the Virginia Tech community a safe place for everyone regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status.

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