By Ramy Zabareh, Staff Writer
Spring has sprung, and the flowers are blooming. You know what that means — Pride Week is just around the corner! Pride Week is intended not only to educate the many diverse campus communities about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) culture and issues, but also as a medium for the expression and celebration of the Mason LGBTQ community itself. Pride Week will last from Sunday, March 28 through Saturday, April 3.
While it certainly is a time to celebrate culture and identity, Director of LGBTQ Resources Ric Chollar reminds us that there is a more sentimental value to Pride Week. “Historically, the LGBTQ community had been associated with shame and lack of social acceptance,” said Chollar. “This [Pride Week] is a way to acknowledge the members of our community as actual contributors to the overall Mason community, and to counteract the historical perception of the LGBTQ community.”
Preparation for Pride Week started in December 2009 and is being organized by a planning team of around 30 people. This group includes about 20 students and faculty or staff from the Multicultural Research and Resource Center (MRRC), Women and Gender Studies, Student Activities, the Office of Diversity Programs and Services (ODPS) and Housing and Residence Life.
For more information about Pride Week events, check out Broadside’s calendar of events and visit http://pride.gmu.edu.
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