Television celebrities visit campus to promote respect
“The Real World” stars Ruthie Alcaide and J.D. Ordonez and “America’s Next Top Model” star Isis King spoke at an “LGBT Round Table” on Oct. 6 in UIndy Hall. The forum focused on tolerance and respect of diversity and for all people. The celebrities stopped at UIndy on a tour of university campuses around the US.
By Heather Ngyuen | Staff Writer
UIndy PRIDE and the Diversity Lecture Series sponsored the “LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Round Table” on Oct. 6 with hosts from “The Real World” and “America’s Next Top Model.”
The celebrities visited UIndy Hall as part of a tour of university campuses. The hosts came to express the importance of respect to diversity, not only toward the LGBT community but to everyone as a whole.
“The Real World” cast members Ruthie Alcaide and J.D. Ordonez both shared with the students experiences they faced growing into adults. Alcaide, from a lesbian’s point of view, stressed the irrelevance of labels and skin colors and encouraged that everyone should love one another.
Ordonez, from the gay male point-of-view, told his story of poverty as a child and shared with students that anyone can be successful, even growing up with nothing.
Isis King, a transgender model from cycle 11 of “America’s Next Top Model,” explained her life before and after her transition from male to female. She discussed how hard it was for her family to accept her and how their minds changed quickly once she became famous. She said she broke the transgender stereotype and expressed that she was born in the wrong body.
“You can’t live in fear of what other people think or say,” she said.
Students were welcomed and encouraged to ask personal questions, which the hosts answered comfortably. The lecture was followed by applause and a meet-and-greet session with the cast members, during which they signed autographs and took pictures with students.
UIndy PRIDE sponsored the lecture because of its direct correlation with their mission to spread awareness of the LGBT community and to assist students with unanswered questions about it.
Kayla Warren, vice president of PRIDE, helped organize the on-campus event.
“I think the event definitely brought attention to the students about the issues of the gay community at hand,” she said.
