The Queer Activist Collective executive board has organized Pride at Home, a series of programs to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and Pride month during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of Christa Nuzzo

LGBTQ+

BU’s Queer Activist Collective Celebrates Pride at Home

Join Q for makeup sessions, comedy sets, and a talent show

June is Pride Month, and for young LGBTQ+ people, it’s the time of the year for self-expression. In previous years, BU’s Queer Activist Collective came together to march in the city of Boston Pride parade, but this year such events have been understandably postponed.

The Queer Activist Collective is still determined to mark the month, and its leaders have organized programs they hope will support members of the LGBTQ+ community, even as the pandemic forces people to stay inside.

“The goal of Pride at Home is to let LGBTQ+ students at Boston University know that wherever they are at this time, they are not alone, and there are other Queer students here to support them,” says Christa Nuzzo (CAS’22), vice president of the Queer Activist Collective—or Q, as members call it. “Their identities are valid and should be celebrated, even if they are currently in an environment that is not validating.”

Nuzzo has worked 8- to 10-hour days since the end of the semester, contacting guest speakers, working out logistics, and communicating with other Q members to make Pride at Home as successful as possible. The result? A month with 17 events, culminating in the Pride Talent Showcase on Tuesday, June 30. Q will take submissions for the showcase until June 23—students can submit work here.

Other events to look for:

• Create “Pride looks,” with Queer artists on Makeup Mondays
• Stand-Up Saturdays, with Queer comedians
• History of the Pride March: A Mini Lesson with History UnErased, tonight, June 12 
• A sexual education and relationship health workshop on Wednesday, June 17
• The Belonging Cafe, where Katy Collins, Dean of Students office director of student outreach and engagement, will lead a discussion and networking session for BU’s Queer student community, where they can share their concerns and have meaningful conversations, on Friday, June 26. 

Pride at Home event co-coordinator Kris—who asked that only her first name be used—put in long days along with Nuzzo to plan the month. One of the Pride at Home goals is to give Queer students a safe outlet for celebrating Pride in environments that may not be accepting of their identities. Kris says that in the past, she felt more conscious of her identity while at home compared to when at school, and fortunately, Pride at Home turned into a family bonding experience.

“I recently came out to my family and was finally able to tell them all about the work I have been doing with Q,” Kris says. “They all attended our kickoff Pride event, Makeup Monday, and they very much enjoyed it. Even my dad, a cisgender heterosexual man with no interest in makeup whatsoever, said he loved the event and that he was proud of me. It felt really wonderful to have them there supporting me.”

Both Kris and Nuzzo recognize that not all members of the collective will have the same reception from family members. The group’s leaders say that they focused on safety while setting up these events so students would not have to fully participate if they find themselves in an unwelcome environment. For instance, they can watch the video stream with sound and use the chat function instead of speaking out loud, if they don’t want anyone to hear.

“For many, college is a time where LGBTQ+ students are able to express themselves more freely than they were able to before, meet people who can relate to their experiences, and find a supportive community,” Nuzzo says. “When these students return to their hometown, they do not always have access to the same freedom.”

Self-care and sharing support resources are big parts of the Pride at Home mission. Q executive board member Christian Paredes (CAS’22) says he looked forward to focusing on these aspects after COVID-19 disrupted the semester.

“I do not know a single person that is not struggling in some way during this challenging time,” Nuzzo says. “I wanted to put together these events to empower and uplift the LGBTQ+ community.”

The Queer Activist Collective hosts events throughout June to celebrate Pride month. Find a list of the events and where to join on the Q Facebook page.