The Office of Pluralism and Leadership is hosting events throughout the month of October to celebrate LGBTQIA+ History Month. This programming serves to commemorate the legacy of instrumental figures in the fight for queer civil rights as well as to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community who continue to fight for equality.
The month kicked off with an afternoon tea session on Oct. 7. The LGBT Employee Resource Network, which supports LGBT students at the College, cohosted a dinner discussion with Joaquin Carcaño at the Triangle House yesterday. Carcoño, an HIV project coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is currently leading the lawsuit against the state of North Carolina regarding the HB2 law, commonly known as the “bathroom bill.” The dinner event merged LatinX Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, with LGBTQIA+ History Month. Participants spoke with Carcaño about the struggle for queer equality.
To celebrate National Coming Out Day, Sexuality, Women and Gender Advising is hosting a National Coming Out Day Party at 6:30 p.m. today.
On Oct. 13 and 14, Indigenous Peoples Heritage Week and LGBTQIA+ History Month will join forces to host discussions with George Neptune ’10, who is a Native American activist and skilled basket maker. On Oct. 14, this discussion will be followed by a dinner event for black and queer students at the Triangle House with Ashley Afranie-Sakyi ’13 who has researched black-queer issues.
Another event, an HIV screening session at Collis Commonground, focuses on the wellness of the LGBTQIA+ community. Dartmouth College Health Service and the Student Wellness Center are sponsoring the screening. It will take place on Oct. 19 from 12:00 p.m. to 04:00 p.m.
OPAL encourages all students to wear purple on Oct. 20 in a campus-wide act of solidarity to condemn LGBTQIA+ bullying. Furthermore, on Oct. 25, students are encouraged to meet on the Green at noon to remember those whose lives have been taken away or are currently affected by transphobia.
From Oct. 24 to Oct. 30, an electronic campaign will work to spread the news about Transgender Awareness Week. Furthermore, on Oct. 25, a PRIDE Information session will take place at the Center for Gender and Student Engagement to encourage a dialogue about queer leadership.
Over the course of the month, the Collis Atrium will feature various displays, including the Latinidad and Queerness Display (Oct. 9 to 15), the LGBTQIA+ Community Flag Display (Oct. 16 to 22), and the Transgender Awareness Week Display (Oct. 23 to 29). Various groups on campus are organizing these displays to show their support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
As a whole, the events and displays on campus for LGBTQIA+ History Month aim to encourage all students to become involved in the fight for LGBTQIA+ acceptance and equality.
