Members of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity will unite with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender people and Allies (LGBTA) resource center starting tonight to present two educational programs to the Penn State community.

Winston N'Dow, a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, said the collaboration with the resource center is an effort to expand his fraternity's range of programming.

"We're not just closed-minded to the regular programs that pretty much all fraternities and sororities do," he said. "We've been working with them to put together these programs, and they've been very helpful, very cool."

N'Dow said the first program, "A Greek Straight Talk," will be a discussion of gay, lesbian and trangender students' experiences with the greek system. Michael Crawford, fraternity and sorority outreach intern at the LGBTA Resource Center, is one of the organizers of the event.

"The greek system is stereotypically not accepting," Crawford said.

He said the program will feature a discussion of derogatory labels such as "frat boy" and "sorostitute," comparing them to terms used against LGBTA people.

Crawford said he was impressed that Phi Beta Sigma took the initiative in contacting the LGBTA resource center to help put on the event.

"With Phi Beta Sigma they just kind of came into our center and approached us," he said. "They seem excited about it."

"A Greek Straight Talk" will take place at 7 p.m. today in the Pollock Rec Room.

The second program, "Reproductive Health," will take place at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Pollock Cultural Lounge, and will also be sponsored by University Health Services.

N'Dow said the program will focus on cancer prevention, an issue that is important to Phi Beta Sigma.

"We're not too young to get cancer," he said.

He said participants in the program will discuss their views on issues concerning reproductive health.

"It's going to be very interactive," he said.

N'Dow said that he hopes that working with groups such as the LGBTA Resource Center will expand the audience of his fraternity's events.

"We're looking for big turnout, a great turnout and to have a diverse group," he said.