Daily Skiff

A silent march in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students and their supporters is scheduled for Friday at 11:45 a.m.

Darron Turner, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, said he will attend the march as an administrator to support the students and to make sure there are no problems.

"For students, this march is a way to bring light to the issues the LGBTQ community faces and show support for a LGBTQ resource center," Turner said.

Shelly Newkirk, a sophomore social work major who helped arrange the event, said she is not expecting opposition during the march.

The march, which will begin at the Bass Building and end at the Brown-Lupton University Union, will stop at Sadler Hall, Newkirk said. The participants will lay irises on the steps of Sadler Hall to represent the university's cooperation with the LGBTQ supporters, Newkirk said.

Newkirk said she expects between 30 and 130 supporters, adding that more are welcome to join the march as it occurs.

University police will also accompany the march, Newkirk said.

According to the event's Facebook page, the march will end with the placement of rainbow flags in the ground by the University Union.

Newkirk said the march is sponsored by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.

Click here to read Shelly Newkirk's opinion on the Living Learning Communities.