Pride Month is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, but it is also an opportunity to learn, start a conversation, and show your support. In honor of Pride Month, we’ve put together a list of events and resources available to Boston University’s alumni and friends.
Pride Meet-Ups: Thursday, June 15
Celebrate Pride Month with Boston University across the country! Join LGBTQIA+ alumni, allies, and friends across the US for local Pride meet-ups. Appetizers and swag will be provided, and cash bars will be available. For specific details of each event, please click on the city listed below.
Special Screening & Reception: Wednesday, June 28
As a part of Pride Month 2023, the LA Entertainment, Film, & TV Alumni Network are hosting a special alumni reception and screening of Stephen Kijak’s (COM) new HBO documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed. Head over to the Los Angeles LGBT Center for a complimentary reception including beer, wine, and appetizers, followed by a screening of the film. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with alumnus and director Stephen Kijak (COM), as well as a post-reception. Register here.
If you are not located in one of these cities and are interesting in planning your own event, please contact Tracy Tow at tracyric@bu.edu. We would love to send you some BU Swag for your celebration.
The LGBTQIA+ Network on BU Connects is for alumni, students, faculty, and staff to connect professionally with others who identify as LGBTQIA+ or as allies. The group provides members with an online space to ask questions, share advice, post job opportunities, comment on threads, and make connections with their global Boston University network.
From thought-provoking discussions on LGBTQ+ history to contemporary issues and advancements, these webinars offer a unique opportunity to expand your understanding and engage with diverse perspectives. Discover a wealth of information and gain a deeper appreciation for the LGBT+ community by exploring these captivating webinars hosted by Boston University.
Ask me to dance: LGBTQIA+ leaders discuss inclusion
As Vernā Myers aptly said, “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” Listen to our panel of LGBTQIA+ leaders for a conversation about inclusion and learn how they are working to build cultures of belonging for their clients and at their organizations.
Marriage equality: Where we’ve come from & what’s next
A BU LAW panel discussion the implications of the Obergefell vs. Hodges Supreme Court decision and its impact today. Hear from alumni and experts as they share how the case can be traced back to law student activism at Boston University in the 1970s, critical SCOTUS decisions about LGBTQ+ rights since Obergefell (including the recent Title VII cases won on June 15, 2020), and what’s next in securing LGBTQ+ rights in America.
Intersections: A conversation on layered identities
Identity is an amalgamation of characteristics that helps define who we are and influences how we are perceived, but what happens when historic and systemic oppression intervene and those characteristics now intersect in a way that results in disadvantage? In this conversation, you’ll hear from Jonathan Allen (LAW’19), Co-founder of The Leadership Brainery and Sasha George (LAW’16), Honors Attorney, Regional Counsel, US Environmental Protection Agency as they explore intersectionality, equity, and leadership.
TV’s Pose and the impact of Black and Latinx LGBTQ stories
Steven Canals, the co-creator and executive producer of the FX series Pose, COM professors Roy Grundmann, and Maura Smith discuss the history, impact, and importance of Black and Latinx LGBTQ representation in film and television. Introduced by Dean Mariette DiChristina. Co-sponsored by COM’s Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
How to create an inclusive culture that celebrates differences
Ruth Rathblott (SSW’94) hid her limb difference for 25 exhausting years, and spent a great deal of time overachieving and trying to fit in. In this webinar, Ruth takes us on her powerful journey of self-discovery and acceptance, and teaches us strategies for building an inclusive culture that celebrates differences.
Why Pronouns Matter with Dr. Carl Streed
BU takes pride in its commitment to fostering an environment that celebrates diversity and honors the spirit of pride throughout the year. Through initiatives like the Out List, dedicated funds for LGBT+ students, and a range of resources and programs, Boston University creates a welcoming space for all. Explore some of the resources and initiatives offered by the University below, exemplifying its dedication to promoting equality and understanding.
BU Out List
The University-wide Out List connects and makes visible the vibrant LGBTQIA+ community that resides at BU. Inspired by the success of the current Boston University Medical Campus OUT and Ally List, this list is a community-building tool accessible to all LGBTQIA+ faculty, staff, and students and the larger university community.
Center for Gender Sexuality & Activism
Center for Gender Sexuality and Activism (CGSA) at Boston University is a resource center that strives to give voice to institutionally marginalized groups through an intersectional approach to activism and education.
Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineLGBTQ Fund
The CAMED LGBTQ Fund promotes equity and inclusion among LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff. The fund is used to support activities designed to increase the retention of LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff capable of making meaningful contributions to the learning environment and to support activities by organizations.
The Lavender Fund (BU School of Law) is supported by Dean’s Advisory Board member Daniel Levin (’09,’10) and fellow alumnus Brian Balduzzi (’13,’14), which aims to ensure that students are empowered to build up and connect the LGBTQIA+ community at BU LAW, and support the personal and professional growth of LGBTQIA+ students through access to legal organizations, events, and additional opportunities. A special focus of the Lavender Fund will be on programs and activities that embrace intersectional identities and lift up historically underrepresented LGBTQIA+ voices within the school and the greater legal LGBTQIA+ community.
LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff
The LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff engages the BU community to foster a sense of belonging and connectedness for LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff; increase the visibility of LGBTQIA+ resources, research, and scholarship; celebrate the contributions of the diverse LGBTQIA+ community at BU; and improve recruitment and retention of LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff in the development of an inclusive and equitable workplace. The center is a physical and virtual space where members of the community can network, share experiences, engage in intellectual interchange, and find community.
LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center: Coming Soon!
Following months of preparation, and years of student advocacy, Boston University will soon be opening a professionally staffed campus resource center for LGBTQIA+ students. The center is expected to open at the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, near spaces like the Howard Thurman Center.
Service PRIDE | Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
The vision of the Service PRIDE is to become the first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) specific service learning group at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Service PRIDE creates an opportunity for CAMED students to mentor and build lasting relationships with LGBTQ adolescents, an often forgotten and vulnerable population in the LGBTQ community.
Queer Activist Collective
The Queer Activist Collective (“Q”) is Boston University’s largest LGBTQ+ student organization dedicated to ensuring the awareness, visibility, and full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. They are committed to creating programming that is uplifting and affirming for all LGBTQ+ community members.
