Campus Life

‘Orange Is The New Black’ Star Lea DeLaria To Lead LGBTQ+ Discussion March 3

February 22, 2017

Lea DeLaria at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre LA Live. (Shutterstock)
Lea DeLaria at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre LA Live. (Shutterstock)
By Sam Peshek, Texas A&M University Marketing and Communications

When Orange is the New Black star Lea DeLaria visits the Texas A&M University campus March 3, she will bring with her an energy that gave life to her role as Carrie “Big Boo” Black and helped establish her as a leading figure in LGBTQ+ advocacy and awareness.

Her discussion titled Lea DeLaria: A Man for All Seasons will give the Texas A&M community a glimpse of what life is like as a person who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community and continue the conversation of the importance of inclusiveness, according to organizers. Chad Mandala, program coordinator with the Texas A&M GLBT Resource Center, said every member of the audience can find common ground with what DeLaria has to say.

“Bringing in speakers like Lea DeLaria provides an opportunity for people to engage with ideas and individuals outside of their daily experience,” Mandala said. “DeLaria’s discussion also serves as an opportunity to provide possibility models for LGBTQ+ Aggies as well as a chance for every member in the audience to help identify core elements of shared humanity in every person’s story no matter who or how they love.”

Prior to her role as Big Boo on Orange is the New Black, a Netflix series about life in a women’s prison, DeLaria appeared in Law and Order SVU, Friends, One Life to Live and Will and Grace among others. She has also enjoyed a lengthy career in music, standup comedy and on Broadway. In 2015, she received the Equality Illinois Freedom Award for using her talents to “entertain and enlighten millions of Americans.”

DeLaria’s discussion is co-sponsored by the Texas A&M GLBT Resource Center, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Bookstore Incentive Funding, the Vice President for Diversity, the Department of Performance Studies, Department of Communication, the College of Medicine, and the College of Liberal Arts.

Event details:

March 3, 2017 at 7 p.m., Rudder Auditorium

Tickets are free and open to the public and can be picked up at the MSC Box Office on the first floor of the Rudder Tower or by calling the box office directly at (979)845-1234. Tickets are not available through online sales.

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Media contact: glbt@tamu.edu

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