Jenny Moshak, chairperson of UT's Commission for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People, told an audience of UT students and faculty Tuesday she was proud of the way people can influence culture and help it to move forward.

Moshak, Roger Weaver, Lynn Sacco and Elliot DeVore were panelists for the event, "oUT on Campus: What's it like being LGBT at UTK?" They discussed issues LGBT students and faculty face at UT and how to solve those issues.

Sacco, chairperson of the Development Committee, said, "This is about treating a population that already exist at UT with the same respect you treat other people."

Sacco said the reaction of the UT administration to LGBT issues has been slow.

"You get the feeling they hope you will just go away," she said.

The panel was formed in honor of LGBT history month. Members of the committee hoped to give insight on how LGBT faculty and students could create awareness and visibility on campus.

DeVore, the student panelist, believes that one solution to LGBT issues is having an open mind.

"I came into my roommate situation with an open mind and he was cool with it," he said. "He actually stood up for me against the mean guys down the hallway. That actually broke some of the stereotypes I had."