UND celebrates LGBTQ+ community with Pride Week on June 12-15

June is Pride Month, an annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. UND has had a long history of engaging with LGBTQ+ issues, dating back to the formation of the 10 Percent Society (now the Queer & Trans Alliance) in 1982. This Pride Month, UND’s Pride Center hopes to honor and celebrate current and former members of the campus LGBTQ+ community as it strives for a more inclusive future.

For Jeff Maliskey, director of the Pride Center, Pride Month represents an opportunity to embrace acceptance and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate their identities.

“Pride Month is about visibility, being unapologetically you, supporting one another, self-reflection, and community celebration,” Maliskey said. “On campus, it is about being able to find a sense of belonging, a place where you can be you without fear, rejection, or being treated differently; it’s about embracing an inclusive community. “

UND’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion is preparing to recognize the month with Pride Week, a weeklong program of events geared towards education and community-building held from June 12 to 15.

The theme for this year’s Pride Week is “United in Pride,” which Maliskey hopes will call attention to the importance of fostering a campus community committed to supporting LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff.

“Community is so important to LGBTQ+ people, we have seen that over and over again throughout history. The Pride Movement followed the June 1969 Stonewall Riots and the fight for LGBTQ+ rights across the nation and brought communities together to enact change,” Maliskey said.

“This year is about uniting to address LGBTQ+ issues and promote inclusivity as a campus community, continuing the efforts of those that had come before us.“

The Pride Center and Office of Student Diversity & Inclusion are hosting a number of free events to celebrate UND’s LGBTQ+ community.

Monday, June 12 — Chalk with Pride
10 a.m., Memorial Union front sidewalk
A Pride Week tradition. Students, faculty and staff are invited to chalk the sidewalk in front of UND’s Memorial Union.

Tuesday, June 13 — Pride Visibility Day
11 a.m., Memorial Union Lobby
A celebration of visibility and support for the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Center will have a table in the Union lobby with free gear.

Wednesday, June 14 — Panel Discussion: Out on Campus
12 p.m., Memorial Union 220
A panel of LGBTQ+ faculty and staff will discuss their experiences on UND’s campus and the significance of Pride Month. The panel will be moderated by Maliskey.
Panelists will include: Darin Buri, College of Engineering & Mines facility and library engineer; Caitlin Milera, director of North Dakota Space Grant Consortium and ND NASA EPSCoR; Tara Hughes, assistant director of housing operations; Steve Halcrow, assistant professor of physical therapy.

Thursday, June 15 — LGBTQ+ Ally Workshop
10 a.m., Memorial Union 103
Maliskey will facilitate a two-part workshop on increasing awareness and understanding of LGBTQ+ experiences and cultivating an inclusive community. The workshop will take place in two parts; a video to be watched individually and an in-person session. More information on the workshop, as well as its registration, can be found on the Pride Center website.