This article was published in The Appalachian.

The Queer Film Series began last night with a showing of “The Mormon Proposition.”

Since 2000, the series has provided free screenings of documentaries and feature films that are of interest to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, Intersex community.

Dr. Jill Ehnenn, co-organizer of the event and a professor at Appalachian State University, said the series has grown tremendously over the last 10 years.

“We’ve had to change venues several times, and we’ve been over capacity for the room that we’re currently in,” she said. “Some films will be more popular than others, but it’s likely that we’ll move to a larger venue within the next couple of years.”

Ehnenn said response to the series has been largely positive.

“I don’t think there was any negative response last year,” she said. “There was one guy who would write us a really inflammatory note every year, and we would just send it to the lawyer who works with the equity office. He would explain that this is a state university where a diversity of opinions are expressed, that we value diversity, and that he’s entitled to his personal views – but one homophobic response is not going to shut down the film series.”

But that type of negative response is unusual, Ehnenn said.

“Anything you do, you would expect there to be people that don’t like things…overwhelmingly, it’s been positive,” she said.

While students, staff and faculty at Appalachian have enjoyed the series over the past ten years, Ehnenn said Boone’s summer population have been part of its success as well.

“They’ve asked if we could start a little bit earlier so they could come to the series before they go back to Florida for the winter,” she said.

“We’re trying to serve several different populations – the community members, the people who summer here – and we also try to pick films that dovetail with what is being taught on campus.”