UND to celebrate LGBTQ+ community with Pride Week on June 12-15
Pride Week invites students, faculty and staff to congregate for equality and solidarity with LGBTQ+ members of the campus community
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 a chance 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 toward education and community-building held June 12-15.
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 who 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.
10 a.m. to noon, 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.
11 a.m. to noon, Memorial Union Lobby
A celebration of visibility and support for the LGBTQ+ community. The Pride Center will have a table in the Union’s lobby with free gear.
June 14: Panel Discussion: Out on Campus
Noon to 1 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 include:
Darin Buri, College of Engineering & Mines facility and library manager.
Caitlin Milera, director of the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium and ND NASA EPSCoR.
Tara Hughes, assistant director of Housing Operations.
Steve Halcrow, assistant professor of Physical Therapy.
10 to 11:30 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 form, can be found on the Pride Center website.
