Littleton, Colo. (Dec. 13, 2011) - Arapahoe Community College’s Equality Club has been selected as the recipient of one of three prestigious national awards in the first annual Out in the Silence Award for Youth Activism recognition program, as announced on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The Equality Club was selected to receive the “New Group Award” and will be awarded a $500 cash prize.  The Out in the Silence Award for Youth Activism program also bestowed a “Grand Prize” and an “Impact Award” in its inaugural year of operation.

During the 2011 fall semester, the Equality Club sponsored several on-campus events in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, including National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.  The Equality Club also facilitated two separate Safe Zone programs this semester in an effort to establish support, safety and a welcoming environment for LGBT persons within the ACC campus community.

The Out in the Silence Award for Youth Activism program was established by Emmy-award winning directors Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, along with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), to highlight and honor the courageous young people who are doing groundbreaking and inspiring work in the movement for change.  Hamer and Wilson directed and produced “Out in the Silence”, a 2009 documentary film about confronting homophobia and the limitations of religion, tradition and the status quo in small-town America.