Is Linfield an accepting campus? This is a question that many students ask themselves daily.

Recently, Thomas Durein, former Greek advisor at the University of California, Berkeley, discussed being gay in Greek Life and made students think even more about acceptance and attitudes at Linfield.

This event was sponsored by the gay-straight alliance group, FUSION,  who hosted the event at Linfield as part of national coming out day, a day celebrating the choice of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender to share their sexual orientation.

Just the fact that this event occurred on Linfield campus proves that Linfield is growing as a whole and beginning to truly accept and celebrate diversity.

It is nice to see that Linfield is continuing to expand and enhance open discussions about sexual orientation.

Part of this improvement is a direct result of FUSION.

FUSION’s mission is to maintain an atmosphere in which all participants feel safe to express opinions regardless of sexual orientation.

FUSION has been successful as a organization because it aims to educate and help everyone on the Linfield campus.

According to the FUSION organization website, “FUSION is open to all those interested and willing to return the respect with which they will be treated, regardless of sexual orientation.”

Because the club is open to anyone and everyone, despite sexual orientation, it has really helped educate and promote awareness to the general Linfield community.

Since  education and awareness is the first step to understanding and acceptance, it is crucial that an organization on campus is working so hard to inform everyone.

It is important that students here at Linfield feel supported not only by administration and faculty, but also by their peers.

We hope that through education and discussion students on campus feel safe and welcome.

We hope that through open discourse students feel comfortable sharing their stories, whatever it might be.

Thanks to events   like the one Durein spoke at, students are getting educated about current social issues and applying what they are learning to their everyday life, while at the same time improving Linfield as a whole.

-The Review Editorial Board