On June 28, 1969, the first brick was thrown at the Stonewall Inn. This sparked uprisings of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, leading to the increased freedoms that we still celebrate today. For the LGBTQ+ community, Pride month is a time to come together and recognize the advancements that have been made, reflect on the work that still needs to be done, and celebrate their identities.
Pride Month is also an excellent opportunity for those questioning their identities to continue learning more about them and for allies to reflect on how they can offer support in practical ways. While Georgia State University celebrates pride month in June with the rest of Atlanta and the world, we have many pride activities throughout the year that celebrate the diversity of our school. All of the ones listed below are available online for our virtual learners
On June 29, Georgia State will hold its "Pride in the Plaza" in conjunction with the oldest LGBTQ+ group in the Georgia, Atlanta Pride. This event will be a great event with an Ice Cream Bar so you can relax on what is predicted to be a hot summer's day. Also, a representative from Atlanta Pride will be on hand to talk about the Gay Pride Parade and other volunteer opportunities. The Multicultural Center will live stream and post stories throughout the day so that no one will miss out. This will be a fun event that the entire Georgia State community can enjoy in a space where they feel safe.
Pride at Georgia State University is Year-Round
Another live-streamed event will This will be another edition of the Multicultural Center's Virtual Safe Zone Workshop and you will have to register (see link below). This entry will be a discussion to celebrate National Non-Binary Week, which is aimed at raising awareness and organizing to take action on the issues faced by non-binary people around the world. There will be a faculty speaker, and all are welcome to attend in person or online.
If you can go to campus on October 20, Georgia State and Georgia Tech are partnering together to have a Pride Prom! This celebration takes pride in LGBTQIA History and gives POWER to an inclusive queer future! Because many students in high school might not have been able to participate in an actual prom as who they truly are, they are asking everyone to be ready to dance the night away for this LGBTQ+ History Month kick-off event. This will be just like a real prom with a live DJ, food, a photo booth, and so much more.
Finally, the Multicultural Center at Georgia State offers a Lavender Graduation for all of its LGBTQIA grads. This unique and special program is for graduating seniors and provides a certificate of completion, rainbow tassel, and purple graduation cords. When you apply to be a Lavender Grad will receive a special dinner where you can meet other grads and queer alumni. At this dinner, you can bring your "Pride Partner," who is a person who supported you through life and school and watched them get recognized. At the Next Lavender Graduation, the Multicultural Center will be honoring the Alumni of the Year and The Community Partner of the Year.
The application for Lavender Graduation opens in April, but you do not have to be out – or at graduation in person - to apply and reap the rewards. The tassel, cords, and certificate can be mailed to you, so this is another excellent program that is open to online students.
A riot started Pride month, but here at Georgia State, one of our core values is to celebrate the individual that you are, not the individual that we want you to be. Whether you celebrate openly or observe quietly, we offer many events throughout the year that will cater to your needs.
These events are available for signing up on the Multicultural PIN page, and they encourage you to follow them on Instagram. They send out emails with updates that you can sign up for here.
You can learn more about other multicultural events this summer, such as Georgia State’s Juneteenth celebration through the Social Justice Summer page on the Georgia State Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website at https://dei.gsu.edu/sjs/.