University Letter

UND's faculty and staff newsletter

UND celebrates Pride Month with week of events

Pride Month is celebrated nationally in the United States in June to honor and recognize the accomplishment of LGBTQIA+ people.

The month traces its roots back to the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a turning point that changed LGBTQ+ activism in the fight for equality. Pride Month serves as time to reflect on our history and honor those that have and continue to pave the path for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the fight against injustice and inequality.

This year, Student Diversity & Inclusion will host its first Pride Week, celebrating the UND LGBTQ+ community, honoring histories, cultures and lives.

“UND has a long history of firsts in its commitment to LGBTQ+ students,” said Jeff Maliskey, assistant director of Student Diversity & Inclusion/LGBTQ Initiatives. “It’s the first college in the state to recognize a registered LGBTQ+ student organization in 1982 called the UND Gay Community, the first in the state to create a physical space dedicated to LGBTQ+ students, and the first North Dakota institution of higher education to hire a full-time professional whose role is to support LGBTQ+ students. We still have many more firsts to create, and Pride Week is just the beginning to how far we have yet to go.”

Pride Week | June 6 – 10, 2022

Faculty and staff are welcome to pick up a mini Pride Flag from Student Diversity & Inclusion  during the month of June to display in their office to help celebrate Pride on campus and show their support.

Monday, June 6 – Chalk with Pride
11 a.m. – 12 p.m., Memorial Union Front Sidewalk

Tuesday, June 7 – Coffee & Queers
10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Pride Center (Memorial Union 204)
Hosted by the UND LGBTQ+ Faculty & Staff Association

Wednesday, June 8 – Art & Activism
12 p.m. – 1 p.m., Pride Center (Memorial Union 204)

Thursday, June 9 – Plant with Pride
12 p.m. – 1 p.m., Pride Center (Memorial Union 204)

Friday, June 10 – LGBTQ+ Ally Training
12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Memorial Union 245

Celebrating Pride with Purpose

Maliskey said Pride Month is more than just promoting LGBTQ+ visibility.

“As a campus community, we have to engage in action and demonstrate a commitment to serving LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff. Some ways we can do this is by using inclusive language, normalizing the use of pronouns, and evaluating how we include people at the intersections of identity in our work, in our classrooms, in our organizations, programs, activities, and events.”

Students, faculty, and staff can find informational resources and learn about ways to practice allyship on the Pride Center webpage. Maliskey encourages self-awareness and education to help broaden how we serve students across the campus.

“So many of our LGBTQ+ students do not feel safe, respected, or see themselves represented on our campus. Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive community where students can thrive. We do this as a community.”

Maliskey hopes that Pride Month motivates members of the campus community to engage in conversations and take action steps to better serve LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff.