It Was A Risky Move... But It Paid Off [Movie Transcript]

Jaimie: From the beginning, the response to the Gender Bender Dance--Most of the ALLiES members were very supportive, but a few were hesitant because the Gender Bender Dance was a compromise and they really wanted a Drag Show. In general, over the course of all four years, attendance has been pretty high. It has ranged from over 100 people in our most recent year to about 300, which we had our first year.



We get people to challenge gender roles a little bit and to be more comfortable with other ways of living, if only for one night. People also get the chance to meet ALLiES and just have a really good time. I think people have a lot of fun at this event, and I hope that we can put it on for several years after I've graduated.

I CAME FROM VERMONT: I Was Surprised At How Conservative and Intolerant Gettysburg Was (Sarah)

I feel like I was at Gettysburg during a really interesting time of transition...I graduated in 2006, just as a large group of underclassmen were starting to be a lot more active in allies and the political scene. I know when I started going to Allies meetings freshman year, there were about 3 other people going and it was all very hush-hush (or at least that's how I perceived it...) and we really had to pull teeth in order to get people to even show up. It seemed like there was still a lot of fear in even being associated with Allies. Coming from Vermont, I was surprised with how conservative and intolerant gBurg was - I know a couple of kids my freshman and sophomore years were getting some really awful stuff posted on their dorm-room doors, etc.

In my senior year, a pretty big group of active and fantastic freshmen and sophomores started to come in and shake things up. I feel like things really took a turn at that point, and Allies became more active and a little more pro-active in organizing events. I haven't really been back, so I don't know how that played out, but it seems like things are getting better...