Student Web site seeks to increase equality as well as understanding
A Web site founded by a Utah State University psychology graduate student in January to support gays has broadened its mission to include equality for all religions, races and minorities.
“It started as a way for the straight community to show support for gay rights,” said Jason Harlacher, 27, who started www.straightsupport.org. Now, equality for all minorities is the focus of the Web site.
A friend announced he was gay after completing undergraduate school and Harlacher said he saw how difficult it was for the gay population to gain respect and acceptance. He began looking for a way to sustain his friend. Also, a new understanding of God has motivated him to spread acceptance.
As the Web site states, the idea all started from a prank some friends of Harlacher played on another friend. A gay pride sticker was put on a rather conservative friend’s car. Harlacher brainstormed for and ideas on how to support the gay community without making people think he was gay.
Harlacher’s original idea was to make stickers with catchy phrases, which evolved to blue wrist bands imprinted with the word, “Equality. After some thinking, he came up with a Web site that would show support not only for the gay community from those who are straight, but to promote treating each other with respect and equality, stated in the history of the Web site.
“It seems like we are in a time where the majority population needs to show support for the minority population,” he said. “It’s a way to be proactive and take a stance even if you don’t have direct contact with it.”
Wrist bands may be purchased at the site for $2. Money for the bands and donations are sent to the AIDS Research Alliance of America (ARA). The site has a link to the foundation, mission statement, thoughts from minority leaders and scriptures from the Bible backing up the idea of acceptance and tolerance.
“It’s cool that he is recognizing and trying to bring about more equality and acceptance,” said Camie Stucki, a freshman student at USU.
Harlacher is scheduled to graduate from USU this June, and plans to begin his doctorial studies at the University of Oregon in the fall. He works as a school psychologist at Davis County School District where he assesses students for special education. He also teaches an introduction to psychology class at USU.
This summer he hopes to convince retail stores to sell wrist bands to spread the word about equality and to raise money for the foundation. Stores such as SugarHouse Coffee, 2100 S. Highland Doctor and Apple Fitness, 324 S. State St., in Salt Lake County are already selling the bands.
Apple Fitness is sponsoring on March 19-20 a Spinathon for its members and nonmembers to raise money for AIDS research. Proceeds from a 24-hour stationary-bicycle ride and other donations will go to Harlacher’s Web site, which will forward the money to the ARA.
Although Harlacher said he doubted he would find much success selling bands in Cache Valley, he was surprised and pleased to note that he received few negative comments from people responding to his requests for comments on the Web site.
-ashleywach@cc.usu.edu