In order to celebrate LGBT pride, CAB is providing students with a whole week of pride-themed festivities. With an event almost every day, LGBT+ students and allies will be able to celebrate with their friends on campus, especially since most pride events happen during the summer.
“We always want to make sure that we have celebrations for our LGBT students,” said Elliot Geary, executive director of CAB. “We are able to give them opportunities that center on their identities.”
On Monday, Pride Pages took place in the Lawrence Hall lobby to kickoff the pride week. This event was a pride-themed take on CAB’s traditional brown paper book events. Attendees were able to pick up a free surprise book that was written by and for LGBT+ individuals; 100 books were categorized by identity so that attendees can easily find and read a book that represents their sexual and gender identity. Some of the books that were included were Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger. The event makes these books easily accessible to those who cannot go out and look for them in Pittsburgh bookstores or check them out in the LGBT+ section at the Carnegie Library in Oakland.
Patch with Pride, which takes place on Tuesday, allows students to observe International Transgender Day of Visibility. It is a day for celebration for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals that occurs on March 31 and is organized by the counseling center. All attendees can create patches and pins for their names and pronouns.
“Queer culture is so prevalent in Point Park,” says Kalliyan Winder, sophomore broadcast major. “And having these events with incentives, like the queer fashion and the gifts, allows for more people to celebrate together rather than celebrate separately, like how we do in June.”
These events will also serve as educational spaces for the campus community, not just the LGBT+ community.
At the LGBT-BBQ, which will take place on Thursday at five p.m. in Village Park, students will be able to win prizes that are specifically geared towards transgender and non-binary students. Clothing and accessories will be given away, as well as gift cards for the company Trans Tool Shed, which has been making clothing for trans-masculine and trans-feminine folks since 2008.
One of the most anticipated events of Pride Week is the LGBT+ Bison Flea. It is co-hosted by the campus’s on-site thrift store. At 5:30 p.m. on Friday, The second and third floor lobbies of Lawrence Hall will be full of goodies to purchase. According to CAB’s Instagram page, “thrifted clothing, handmade jewelry, candles, keychains, crochet goods, stickers” and other accessories from many student vendors will be available. This event is a perfect opportunity to purchase gifts for yourself, friends, or your partner.
Cab’s pride week ends with the Pride Punch Coffeehouse where people can make pride-themed mocktails with CAB. More information about the events can be found on PointSync.
