‘Visible and proud.’ Rally, march one of many events to celebrate Pride Month at Penn State
The stairs of Old Main were draped in rainbow colors on Monday as dozens of students, staff and community members gathered for a Pride Rally & March to celebrate Penn State Pride month.
Pride flags bellowed from the backs of participants as they marched from the HUB-Robeson Center to Old Main to show support for the university’s LGBTQ community in the event planned by Penn State’s Office of Sexual and Gender Diversity.
“In celebration of Pride Month, today is to allow students to take pride in the fact that they have a space on campus to be who they are and be affirmed and supported,” Sonya Wilmoth, director at the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, said.
Wilmoth said that although the university has achieved a lot of progress for LGBTQ representation, there is still a lot of work to be done. She said that she is part of a network of administrators working behind the scenes to spark progressive change, an effort she feels optimistic about.
Once a weeklong event, Penn State Pride now spans the entirety of April with celebrations from a “Super Gay 5K” to keynote speakers and drag shows. Wilmoth hopes queer students who are new to campus see how “We Are” applies to the visible, proud LGBTQ population as well.
“We are not a small piece of campus — we have become a large part of this university that is embraced by the entire community,” Wilmoth said.
Echoing protest chants throughout campus, the marchers made their way to Old Main, where Wilmoth made welcoming remarks and opened the mic to anyone who wanted to speak about their experiences and why they are proud to be in the queer community at Penn State.
From coming out stories to legislative obstacles, several participants shared their insights with the crowd, which ranged from children to alumni.
Bonnie Richardson was at the event with her daughter Ella, and said they were both looking forward to moving from their hometown Tyrone to State College after joining some LGBTQ family groups in the area and seeing the level of inclusiveness and support on campus.
“At first I was anxious,” Ella Richardson, 11, said about participating in the march. “Then everyone started chanting and I decided to pull out my Pride flag.”
To students struggling with their sexual or gender identity, Bonnie Richardson said she hopes they see “there are people willing to affirm and embrace them” even if it isn’t their biological family — a sentiment evident by the two women holding a banner that offered “Free Mom Hugs.”
The women were representing the national organization Free Mom Hugs, which is comprised of a network of parents and allies that have joined the movement to support the LGBTQ community by spreading a message of love and acceptance.
“Unfortunately, some people are rejected by their families when they come out and that’s one of the most horrible things in the world,” Yvette Wilson, director of Penn State’s Gender Equity Center, said. “This is a way to say if your family isn’t supportive or there are issues there, we are here for you and will give you free hugs and support you unconditionally.”
Wilson said she knows she’s making a difference whenever she sees the emotional responses from people who take her up on the free hug offer. Her message to them: It gets better.
Many of the marchers were university students. According to the Campus Pride Index, which is an indicator of university commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policy, program and practice, Penn State is ranked 5/5 on the index and is recognized as one of the top colleges in the country for LGBTQ students.
Billur Kaya, a Humphrey Fellow in the College of Education, held up a sign that read, “Google Istanbul Pride.” As an exchange graduate student from Turkey, Kaya said she was there to bring attention to her home country — where large-scale, colorful Pride marches took place from 2003 to 2015 before being banned by the government.
Since then, people have defied the ban and continued to protest, leading to police intervention and violence. Kaya said she felt lucky to be able to participate in a peaceful event somewhere that LGBTQ students are welcomed and protected.
Throughout her internship with the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Kaya said she’s appreciated the ways the center communicates with students and creates safe spaces for them to fully be themselves.
“It’s so important to celebrate our identities and it’s important for me to get the word out about my country because the queer movement has a very strong and amazing history in Turkey,” Kaya said.
Ryan Strohl, graduate student and graduate assistant for the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, said the goal of the event boils down to one word: visibility.
“Things like this during Pride Month help Penn State students see that there is a queer community here and we are visible and proud,” Strohl said. “I hope that students see a community that cares about them, welcomes them and acknowledges safety and representation.”
He said it’s “astounding” how accommodating the Center for Sexual and Gender Studies has been to members of the community who crave a safe space.
“Society as a whole has a long way to go in general but steps like these are important for people to recognize the importance of why we are doing this work,” Strohl said.
This event is one of many planned by the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity throughout the month of April to celebrate Penn State Pride Month. To learn more about ways to participate in Pride at Penn State, visit the center’s calendar of events.
