Grand Valley State University film and video major Alex Gillis, a student worker in the LGBT Resource Center, attends the Reel Pride film series every Friday at 2 p.m. – not because he has to, but because he wants to.

“I love Reel Pride a lot,” Gillis said. “It’s one of those things that I feel forces me to take a break and relax and learn stuff that can possibly apply to other aspects of my life.”

Reel Pride, a weekly film event hosted by the LGBT Resource Center, give the campus community the opportunity to watch films related to the center’s cause.

Joseph Miller, an intern for the LGBT Center said since the film series started last year, it’s had considerable success this semester. Miller facilitates the program and selects the films that will be played each week, and said they try to alternate between more serious dramas or documentaries and comedies.

However, no matter how genre, the films all address a variety of LGBT groups and experiences.

“We show a variety of films that cover different LGBT issues so everyone can relate to some aspects of the films we choose,” Miller said. “These films are not only entertaining and inspiring, but also can be very educational and allow students to reflect on different types of people in the LGBT community.”

Gillis said the relaxed atmosphere, complete with free popcorn, is a good way for students to hang out with friends and meet new people. While there are many people that attend on a regular basis, there are also a variety of different faces every time.

“For me, it brings up movies that I want to see but don’t always have the time to see them and for other people, it’s movies that they might not normally think of on their own,” Gillis said.

Gillis said the films are sometimes funny, sometimes sad and it would be nice to have the opportunity to talk about them with the other viewers, and that he thinks an optional discussion afterward would be beneficial.

“They touch on a variety of issues that students may not have seen or even thought of before,” Miller said. “Also, the program serves as a great time to relax after a long week and kick back, enjoy some popcorn, and watch great films.”

The final film of the semester will be “Home for the Holidays”, shown on Dec. 7 in the LGBT Resource Center, and the series will be continued after holiday break.

For more information on Reel Pride visit the LGBT Resource Center website at www.gvsu.edu/lgbtrc/reel-pride-97.htm
[email protected]