Two years ago, a small office opened in the Student Center, just down the hall from where the Student Government office sits. Two bathrooms had occupied the space before.

The doors are glass, hiding nothing. The small office OUTsource occupies — a place where gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and ally students can go to help, support or just to hang out — is in and of itself, a beacon of hope for this campus.

On a campus where diversity is seemingly only related to skin color, the fact OUTsource can exist for two years without one fight, break in or other general problem is proof true diversity can happen on this campus.

GAYLA, an event OUTsource held on April 21 to celebrate its two year anniversary, was full of things our parents before us never would have dreamed of — girls dressed as boys, boys dressed as girls.

Regardless of your moral or religious beliefs, these were students who could freely express themselves at UK without fear of insult, attack or something worse. Sure, many in the community, UK and surrounding areas, were probably appalled at the events of GAYLA. Some probably dislike the fact that the OUTsource even exists.

But not once, not even during GAYLA, has UK tried to put a stop to any of this. Nor should it. Because of that, this university can say it has achieved real diversity, even if it’s just a baby step in the right direction.

It’s not far-fetched to think at a southern university like UK that worse things could have happened. At a university that struggles with diversity like UK has, it could have easily been an effigy of a gay or lesbian person hanging outside the Mining and Minerals Building. As a flagship university in a state that has a constitutional ban on gay marriage, the backlash against OUTsource could have snowballed into major action.

But it hasn’t.

So those big glass doors, inviting everyone and anyone inside, but not afraid to hide anything, are still sitting in that same small Student Center office.

And as long as they do, UK can claim to have real diversity.