The crowd around the stage grew slowly as many of the more than 200 listeners rose from their seats, moving closer to the folk musicians.

The free concert in the HUB-Robeson Center Heritage Hall kicked off Penn State's National Coming Out Day events, intended to embrace lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally students and let them know that the surrounding community supports them.

"One main goal is to get as many co-sponsors as we can," said Chris Brown, political co-director for the Lambda Student Alliance and one of the event's organizers. "Not because it looks nice on the back of a T-shirt, but because these organizations are friendly to the LGBT community."

Brown said this year may boast the highest sponsorship the event has had.

This year's NCOD events will almost exactly mirror last year's — there will be a rally, march and dance, in addition to last night's music. The difference comes from the corresponding events affecting the LGBT community, because this weekend is also the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Commission for LGBT Equity.

A dinner and reception for the commission are tonight, and the keynote speaker, author Barbara Smith, also has agreed to speak at the NCOD rally. Smith is the author of Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology and The Truth That Never Hurts: Writings on Race, Gender and Freedom.

"She's just phenomenal," said Jennifer Storm, political co-director for LSA and another event organizer. Storm said she is excited to hear Smith twice, once at the rally and again at the commission dinner, which is free to students who registered.

Tomorrow the anniversary celebration hosts an all-day conference on gender and sexuality studies at Penn State. Both the conference and reception require pre-registration and fees, which are waived for students.

Storm said the events for NCOD and the anniversary are planned at different times so that students would be able to attend both if they want.

The rally will start at noon today on the Old Main steps.

Today's slate of speakers also includes Commission for LGBT Equity chair Tramble Turner, Undergraduate Student Government President Justin Zartman and Vice President Amanda Hudnall, representatives from the university administration and a representative of Allies.

Brown said the diverse group of speakers shows how LSA and Allies have branched out to all of the people in support of the LGBTA community.

"I think (it) is amazing," he said. "It's probably one of the best steps we've taken in the three years I've been up here."

He said the network of supporters is expanding, and the speakers will also show that LGBT issues are not confined to students or even to University Park campus.

At the end of the rally, the microphone will be open to anyone wishing to publicly come out.

Brown said that straight students "come out" at the microphone as well, openly stating their support of the LGBT community.

"It's also the allies," he said. "Because so many times the allies are more harassed than the actual homosexuals."

One sponsor not on the list this year is the new LGBTA Student Resource Center, which is not operating because the final selection of a director has not been announced. Last year, the LGBTA Resource Room, which is being replaced by the new, larger center, sponsored a Gayla on the HUB-Robeson Center lawn, complete with a rainbow of huge, colorful banners. Since the center is not operating, that will not be a part of the events this year.

The official National Coming Out Day was yesterday, but Penn State has always held its NCOD rallies on a Friday, and students wanted to uphold that tradition.

"I came out on that mic three years ago," said Storm. "It's important that we continue to make that avenue open to incoming students."