'The Hunger Games' actor spreads awareness for Ally Week on Bruin Walk
Courtesy of Airon Bongon
By Kelsey Rocha
April 19, 2012 6:21 p.m.
Although the usual tactic for facing Bruin Walk is to get through quickly and with as few fliers as possible, today was a little different at the UCLA Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender table.
Through the combined efforts of LGBT and Delta Lambda Phi, Josh Hutcherson, spokesperson for Straight But Not Narrow as well as the actor who played Peeta in “The Hunger Games,” joined the student organizations in Bruin Plaza to spread awareness for Ally Week.
Wearing cool shades and a tank top, Hutcherson looked just like any other UCLA student. In fact, most people originally rejected the wristbands and stickers he was passing out. Meghan Maloney, a third-year American literature and history student and LGBT participant said, “I guess no one really made the connection that he was in “˜The Hunger Games’ until people started taking pictures and posting on Facebook that Peeta from (the movie) is here.”
Once people got the message, fans surrounded Hutcherson. He gladly took pictures, gave out wristbands for Straight But Not Narrow, and told people why the cause was important. He said that being able to use his fame to promote this cause is one of the cool things he gets to do.
The partnership between Delta Lambda Phi and Straight But Not Narrow was the driving force for Hutcherson’s appearance. Delta Lamba Phi’s president Airon Bongon, a fourth-year art history student, said the proceeds from tonight’s annual Pride Prom fundraiser will benefit Straight But Not Narrow.
Hutcherson will also be meeting some of the students again in Los Angeles this Saturday when he receives the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Vanguard Award. The award recognizes individuals in the entertainment industry who have demonstrated exceptional activism for the LGBT community. To date, he will be the youngest recipient.
Despite the risks to reputation that sometimes accompany supporting LGBT as a heterosexual individual, Hutcherson remains unfazed. According to Maloney, he said, “Just because you’re a man who supports men who like men doesn’t make you less of a man.”
