Fine By Me
Encyclopedia
Fine By Me is an organization in the United States
with the mission to give voice to friends and supporters of lesbian
, gay
, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT
) people. The organization developed a project to print t-shirts bearing the phrase "gay? fine by me" and then worked with communities to distribute and wear the T-shirts to show acceptance
and support for LGBT people and publicly demonstrate against homophobia
.
The organization began at Duke University
in spring 2003. The idea behind Fine By Me started from a dinner conversation between ten friends, both gay and straight. The group came up with the idea to distribute free T-shirts with an anti-homophobic message. In less than two weeks, the group distributed nearly 2,000 t-shirts to students, faculty and staff. Even then university president, Nannerl 'Nan' Overholser Keohane, wore a T-shirt.
The idea continues to spread to schools all over the country, including traditionally conservative and religious institutions such as the University of Notre Dame
, Boston College
, and Texas A&M University
.
Since its founding in 2003, the organization has expanded its focus to include churches and synagogues, local civic groups, PFLAG chapters, businesses, and other community groups and organizations. For groups wanting to show support, custom t-shirts are printed with a custom organizations name in place of "us" in "gay? fine by us".
Fine By Me added t-shirts with the message "gay marriage? fine by me" to support same-sex marriage
.
In September 2008, Fine By Me became a special project of Atticus Circle
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with the mission to give voice to friends and supporters of lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual, and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
(LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) people. The organization developed a project to print t-shirts bearing the phrase "gay? fine by me" and then worked with communities to distribute and wear the T-shirts to show acceptance
Acceptance
Acceptance is a person's agreement to experience a situation, to follow a process or condition without attempting to change it, protest, or exit....
and support for LGBT people and publicly demonstrate against homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
.
The organization began at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in spring 2003. The idea behind Fine By Me started from a dinner conversation between ten friends, both gay and straight. The group came up with the idea to distribute free T-shirts with an anti-homophobic message. In less than two weeks, the group distributed nearly 2,000 t-shirts to students, faculty and staff. Even then university president, Nannerl 'Nan' Overholser Keohane, wore a T-shirt.
The idea continues to spread to schools all over the country, including traditionally conservative and religious institutions such as the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, and Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
.
Since its founding in 2003, the organization has expanded its focus to include churches and synagogues, local civic groups, PFLAG chapters, businesses, and other community groups and organizations. For groups wanting to show support, custom t-shirts are printed with a custom organizations name in place of "us" in "gay? fine by us".
Fine By Me added t-shirts with the message "gay marriage? fine by me" to support same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
.
In September 2008, Fine By Me became a special project of Atticus Circle
Atticus Circle
Atticus Circle is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate and mobilize fair-minded straight people to advance equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender partners, parents and their children....
.
External links
- Fine By Me — official website
- Fine By Me on MySpace