by James Matheson
The University of Maryland is hosting its annual Pride Month throughout April focusing on LGBTQ+ identity, queer clubs and STD prevention, all under a theme entitled “Love Me Tender, Love Me Queer.”
“Through shared vulnerability and resilience, the queer community can get through hard times and work towards social justice and social equity,” said Ross Sawilowsky, who is involved in organizing LGBTQ+ events on campus.
Nationally, Pride Month began as a protest after the 1969 Stonewall Riots, when members of the LGBTQ+ community protested a series of raids on gay bars by throwing rocks at the police and attempting to set the Stonewall Inn on fire. Nowadays, it’s transformed into an international celebration and observance of LGBTQ+ identities.
In place of the month-long celebration which is traditionally celebrated in June, when the university is no longer in session for summer break, the university hosts its own Pride Month on campus. This month features drag shows, panels and group counseling hosted by many organizations and offices that represent transgender and nonbinary students, students of color and differing religious and cultural backgrounds. The groups include Hamsa, for LGBTQ+ Jewish students at this university.
“Just look for what interests you and try it out because if it doesn’t work, you don’t have to go back,” said Hamsa vice president Florence Miller.
Hamsa, ReBorn This Way, for LGBTQ+ Christian students, and Bias Incident Support Services are hosting a queer interfaith panel on April 24. The panel will discuss how to cope with the unique experience that comes with the intersectional bias of being queer and religious, said Miller.
Queer students in situations where they face a lack of acceptance or difficult intersectionality can have a difficult time connecting with their own identity, Miller said.
The silent understanding that exists between people who have the same kind of intersection is important to the process of accepting oneself, said Miller, a freshman English and women, gender, and sexuality studies double major.
Miller described meeting their first queer Jewish friend while in highschool as, “this sort of ‘aha’ moment of somebody who quietly understands all the parts of me.”
The university’s Pride Month strives to provide those spaces of understanding this year. Events like a graduate student LGBTQ+ Student Mixer and Polyamory Workshop will both take place before the month concludes.
“We have these spaces on campus where you can have that little moment of acceptance within this small space, even if it’s once a week or something like that,” said Miller. “But Pride Month sort of gives everyone that moment of like: ‘It’s okay.’”
The UMD Pride Month calendar can be found here.
Remaining events:
Outdoor Queer Recess, April 24. Hosted by the LGBTQ+ Equity Center.
Storytime in Drag! April 24. Hosted by University Libraries https://umd.libcal.com/event/10640310
Advocacy Teach-In, April 24. Hosted by the Pride Month Committee & MICA
Queer Interfaith Panel, April 24. Hosted by Hamsa / Nice Jewish Queers, ReBorn This Way, and Bias Incident Support Services
Mixed/Multiethnic Identities within the LGBTQ Community, April 26. Hosted by Multiracial Biracial Student Association
Polyamory Workshop, April 27. Hosted by Quentin Leifer, M.S. ’23 [pronouns: per/per/pers]
CQA Intersectionality Event, April 28. Hosted by CQA – Campus Queers & Allies
Imagining Fictitious [non] futures with Dan Ortiz Leizman, April 28. Hosted by Stamp Gallery. Register for workshop here Grad LGBTQ+ Student Mixer, May 3. Hosted by MICA and the LGBTQ+ Equity Center RSVP at tinyurl.com/GradLGBTQ