Online drag shows, miniature floats made out of shoeboxes, virtual panel discussions and dance parties – these are just a few of the ways LGBTQ students and alumni are marking Pride month. Even with parades shut down and campuses closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, college communities are gathering online to celebrate.
At the University of Texas at Dallas, the Galerstein Gender Center has planned a month jam-packed with events, including LGBTQ-themed Netflix watch parties every Wednesday, “Rainbow Story Time” on Fridays, an online happy hour for queer faculty and staff and more.
At Texas A&M University, its alumni organization, the Aggie Pride LGBTQ+ Network, is throwing a virtual Pride party on June 26, complete with a DJ and drag performers, all of whom are former students. One performer, who goes by “Paris Amour,” won the university’s drag competition, Draggieland, last year. Students and alumni are encouraged to wear their favorite Pride-themed attire.
The group is also hosting a series of five panel discussions in June called “Life After Aggieland.” Each panel is co-hosted with a different student group, with sessions ranging from how to network post-graduation, to the gender spectrum, to what it means to be a good ally.
This time is “extra stressful, extra hard,” said Brad Dressler, president of the board of directors for the Aggie Pride LGBTQ+ Network. “We want to make sure there’s a connection … [that people] realize there’s a whole community out here that are here to love and support you and celebrate who you are and also provide help and resources. But also just have a little bit of fun too.”
In addition to the party, Texas A&M’s LGBTQ+ Pride Center has planned a slew of events called Pride Live, including a panel discussion with Alok Vaid-Menon, author of Beyond the Gender Binary; trivia; readings of LGBTQ-affirming children’s stories on Instagram live; and a panel on sexual assault and domestic abuse in the LGBTQ community, especially during COVID-19.
Heather Wheeler, the center’s director of gender and sexual diversity, pointed out that LGBTQ students might be returning to hostile home environments. They may be cut off from their social circles and mental health and medical providers on campus, which can be a particular struggle for students taking hormones or preparing for transition, she said. With virtual events, the center has a “really unique opportunity” to offer support, not only to Texas A&M students but to whoever shows up.
