Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Celebrating Pride Month

June 3, 2024

Dear Brandeis Community:

June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community with our students, faculty, and staff, as well as our families and loved ones.

The original organizers of Pride chose June to pay homage to the Stonewall Uprising, which helped spark the modern gay rights movement. The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, forceful demonstrations by members of the LGBTQIA+ community in response to a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Pride celebrations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City began in 1970, when they were organized as a political backlash against police persecution of gay and lesbian people. LGBTQIA+ community members joined forces to demand that city officials and police departments leave them in peace — demanding their right to safe gathering places. In subsequent years, Pride parades and celebrations have become key community events across the country for LGBTQIA+ folks and their allies. In many cities where the LGBTQIA+ community faced systemic discrimination, elected officials and other local leaders now march to demonstrate their support and solidarity.

And yet, despite many years of hard-fought gains by the LGBTQIA+ community, there has been a recent increase in anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in the United States. According to the ACLU, 515 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been introduced into state legislatures across the country so far in 2024. Coinciding with the legislative efforts, violence against transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse people has continued to escalate. While Pride has become a celebration - and in some cases an opportunity for consumerism - recognizing and supporting the ongoing struggle for LGBTQIA+ civil rights is as important now as it has ever been. LGBTQIA+ people and allies alike need to come together as a community to support one another and uplift our voices. One way you can make a difference is by registering to vote, if you have not already done so, and support leaders who advocate for queer and trans people.

Here at Brandeis, we invite community members to engage with the resources offered by the Gender and Sexuality Center. The GSC was established in 2014 to provide support for the inclusion of women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community at Brandeis through educational and professional development opportunities for students, staff, and faculty. We are also proud of our Brandeis Faculty and Staff Pride Alliance which has been a source of support for our LGBTQIA+ employees. Accordingly, we invite everyone to participate in Pride events sponsored by Brandeis and local communities during this month of June.

Brandeis Pride Mixer
99 Restaurant, 110 South Street, Waltham
June 26, 5 - 7 p.m.

This drop-in event is generously sponsored by the Presidential DEI Mini-Grant Fund and is supported by the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Gender and Sexuality Center, Brandeis Faculty and Staff Pride Alliance, and the Brandeis University Staff Advisory Committee. Appetizers will be provided and a cash bar will be available. Please RSVP for a free beverage. Additionally, we will be joined by representatives from SpeakOUT-Boston, a local group of speakers and volunteers who advance LGBTQIA+ education by sharing their personal stories. Guests from SpeakOUT will share more about the work their organization is doing and will be available for networking.

From the Rose Art Museum:

Queer Imaginaries In The Permanent Collection:
June 6, 12 p.m. Celebrate Pride Month with a virtual talk featuring museum staff who identify as LGBTQ+, who will explore contemporary artists whose works build new worlds from queer perspectives.

Off-campus events:

Boston Pride For The People
June 8. Parade starts at 11 a.m in Copley Square; Festival noon to 6 p.m. at Boston Common

Rhode Island PrideFest & Illuminated Night Parade
June 15. Festival starts at noon in District Park (Providence); Parade starts at 8 p.m.

Waltham Pride Festival
June 16, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Waltham Common

We hope you will join us in celebrating Pride this year!

In community,

Jamie Wire
Director – Gender and Sexuality Center

Charles Chip Mc Neal
Director – Office of DEI Education & Learning

Lee Bitsóí
Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Reference guide to the LGBTQIA+ acronyms: