BGALA Into Maturity

As BGALA continued into the mid 90s, it continued to create new forms of programming, as well as perpetuate existing forms, such as speakers, lectures, and the annual spring Pride Week. 

An event started in this period was OutTalk, originally formed as part of the Collection program and would later become a campus tradition that would continue into the present day. In its early form, Out Talk took place as a part of spring Pride Week programming. The event consisted of people anonymously submitting written stories to be read by either themselves or members of BGALA in front of a crowd. This model would later be adopted to more quaker-style, impromptu speaking. Because of the written nature of these stories, many are saved within the archival narrative and can be read on their approriate page [[HERE IS A LINK TO OUTTALK SUBMISSIONS]].

Other events began in this period included a support group ran through psych services, the creation of an affinity group for alumni, and campus participation in the national Day of Silence. 

As with other time periods, there continued to be instances where BGALA's actions sparked controversy or dissaproval from the campus community, as well as BGALA providing pushback for actions deemed inappropriate by the group. 

This dynamic played out in BGALA's and other community members' reaction to the campus Republican Club's appropriation of the term 'coming out' for their "Republican Coming Out Day." Read the article below to learn more about the issue. 

The year after this dilemma, BGALA chalked many messages around campus that positively affirmed queerness. This came into conflict when other members of the community decided to write back responses, as well as claim that the messages shouldn't have been written in the first place. 

This time also saw the creation of another tradition, though the origin of this is quite mysterious, and many at Haerford are unaware of its origins. Sometime in the late 1990s, pinwheels were used as a promotion for Pride Week activities. Though its not clear how this morhped into the current Pinwheel day, references from alumni and the BiCollege news make it clear that Pinwheel Day originated as a display of Pride. Read the coverage of the Pride Week where the tradition was incepted here.

Though not as excutubg as Pinwheel Day, as a result of lobbying from students, the administration allowed the Haverford College Apartments (HCA) to go co-ed. This allowed men and women to live together in the same suite and as roomates, allieviating many issues queer students had with gender segregated housing.