The gay pride or simply pride
campaign of the gay rights movement has three main premises: that people should
be proud of what they are, that sexual diversity is a gift, and that sexual
orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally
altered. Marches celebrating Pride (pride parades) are celebrated worldwide.
Symbols of gay pride include the rainbow flag and also of the pink and black
triangles reclaimed from their past use.
Allies is
a group of concerned students, faculty and staff who are dedicated to providing
a safe and cooperative environment for gay, lesbian and bisexual persons and
their straight friends. The faculty advisors for Allies are Anke Walz and Deryl
B. Johnson; connect with them via e-mail at allies@Kutztown.edu
On April 17th, 2006 Kutztown
University proudly unveiled Keith Haring’s Liberty Banner from
the disused water tower located behind Old Main. Measuring 90’ x
30’, the banner stretchesto approximately twelve stories tall
and this marks only the third time that the piece has seen
significant public exposure. The banner is part of the
exhibition on display at the Reading Public Museum until August
6, 2006 entitled, Journey of the Radiant Baby that features over
a hundred of Haring’s works.
Born in Reading and raised in Kutztown, Haring became one of the
world’s most renowned artists during the 1980’s. Expressing
himself artistically in a highly stylized manner that plays with
archetypal symbols, his paintings have an undeniable appeal to
all those who view them. Based out of New York, Haring
transcended cultural boundaries, traveling the globe leaving his
mark on church walls of Italy, the Berlin wall, and rooftops of
Tokyo.
The Liberty Banner was completed in 1986 with the help of the
City Kids organization, a non-profit group that provides
programming and social awareness activities for urban youth in
New York City. After painting the outlines of the picture, the
banner was laid out and over a thousand children took part in
filling it in with images and messages that represented their
individual ideas of liberty. Upon its completion, the work was
hung in Battery Park City in New York, at the southern tip of
Manhattan looking out at Lady Liberty herself. Since then, the
banner was displayed at the halftime show of the 2002 Super Bowl
and is only now being made available again for general public
viewing.
As a gay artist, Haring’s pieces tended to show themes of unity,
humanism, and unrestricted love throughout. The simplistic
figures that Haring draws represent the everyman, portrayed in a
spectrum of diverse colors. Taking his role of artist seriously,
Haring used his position to bring attention to social themes
such as Aids awareness and anti-drug campaigns. Displaying the
Liberty Banner on campus is a statement in support of not only
the art work itself, but of the diversity and harmony that Keith
Harring heralded.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
P.O. Box 730, Kutztown, PA 19530
610-683-4000 • TDD: 610-683-1315, 610-683-4499
Member of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education
