How "gay? fine by me." Campaign Making a Difference At UNC

We were delighted to see this blog post from an MBA student at the University of North Carolina recently. In her post, Alicia Conway is talking about things she sees on campus that makes her proud to be part of her school, which includes:

Mostly, though, I’d have to say that my pride stems from the fact that everywhere I turned throughout the day, I was greeted by a bright and welcoming shirt like this one:

I can’t speak with much authority on what it feels like to be gay in business school (or at all, for that matter), but I’d imagine that it’s not an easy place for one to be so. Traditionally, most people aren’t really “out” on Wall Street. However, just like the face of business is changing to incorporate different perspectives on sustainable practices, so too is there a shift in focus to be more inclusive and mindful of diversity in the workplace.

The change has not been overnight, nor are we close to done. But it was encouraging to be engulfed in a rainbow of inclusive and well-intended Kenan-Flagler students who were wearing their hearts quite literally on their sleeve. All said and done, Ally Pledge Day was a success. We rounded up 329 signatures – 283 in person and another 46 online (a few more at the West End Wine bar social in the evening).

We're glad that Ally Pledge Day at UNC was such a success, and that LGBT rights supporters there were willing to proclaim their support via Fine By Me T-Shirts. It's heartening to see projects like this, as well as groups of fine folks like this one standing up for LGBT rights:

Read the original blog post here.

By the way, within the next week, we'll be announcing a campaign that will allow LGBT supporters at campuses across the nation to show their support and wear their Fine By Me shirts with pride. Look here for more info on how those of you at colleges and universities -- whether students, faculty, or staff -- can become involved.