On April 2, students at the University of Northern Iowa will begin celebrating Pride Week, and queer monologues will kick off the festivities.

“The Queer Monologues,” which was inspired by “The Vagina Monologues,” is a production aimed at inspiring collaboration, conspiring for equal rights and sending the message that “it’s okay to be who you are.”

Ellie Hail, a senior general communication major, and Kaitlin Korbitz, a graduate student in women and gender studies, are the co-directors of the event.

“After experiencing ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ written by Eve Ensler, ‘The Queer Monologues’ is an adaptation focusing on a similar underrepresented population,” Hail said. “In our case, it is a representation of queerness, sexuality and gender identity. In both cases, it is a celebration of who we are and why we are important, societally. It is a celebration of our voices.”

Sponsored by UNI Proud, “The Queer Monologues” is a production created and maintained by a community of individuals who want to raise awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer issues on campus and in society.

Pride Week will continue throughout the week, with a drag show at 8 p.m. on Tuesday in the Maucker Union Coffeehouse and presentations by Loren Cameron on Wednesday. Cameron, a photographer known for his photography of transsexual people during their gender transition, will be speaking about his own transition, his art and his models.

Hail and Korbitz urge everyone to attend “The Queer Monologues” and the other events taking place during Pride Week.

“The only people we don’t want to see are those who want to derail the performance via hatred and bigotry,” Korbitz said.

More information about Pride Week 2012 and UNI Proud can be found on Facebook, as well as at the tabling events taking place in Maucker Union from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday during Pride Week.