Pride Week 2024 is bringing students together for The Pride Renaissance in a week of inspiration and inclusivity April 1 through 6.
The LGBT Resource Center’s goal for the week is to celebrate all identities and interests at the University of Utah. This year’s celebrations include events ranging from gaming to gender-neutral fashion.
Here & Queer: The Pride Renaissance
The theme for this year’s Pride Week is Here & Queer: The Pride Renaissance. The theme highlights the dynamic spirit of the LGBTQ+ community on and off campus.
Tomoya Averett, program coordinator for community engagement at the LGBT Resource Center, said they chose this theme to emphasize the intersectional identities in the campus community.
“Not all of us are just queer in our identity,” Averett said. “We have queer disabled people, queer people from all kinds of walks of life. So, I guess the main driving force behind ‘Here & Queer: The Pride Renaissance’ is having a renaissance of ideas … allowing people to show up exactly as they are and have all of their identities come with it.”
LeiLoni McLaughlin, associate director of the LGBT Resource Center, said the theme also celebrates queerness through history.
“The Queer Renaissance shows that queerness has been around,” McLaughlin said. “Like, before this country has been around. It’s been around since the beginning of time.”
Campus Events for Pride Week
“What we tried to do is kind of find a little bit of something for everybody from sports to fitness, to arts and crafts, to honestly every kind of niche hobby that you can think of,” Averett said.
Monday, April 1 starts the week off with one of the biggest events, the Queer Market, with queer organizations and vendors from throughout the Salt Lake community. Individuals can shop a range of products and learn more about on and off-campus resources from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The day continues with a Gayming Dungeons & Dragons Night from 6 – 9 p.m.
Local drag queens are teaming up with the LGBT Resource Center for a high-stakes bingo night on April 2. Later in the week, students can learn the art of drag makeup at a masterclass taught by local drag queens and end the night with a Drag Show at the A. Ray Olpin Union Building.
McLaughlin said she is looking forward to the Queer Wellness event on April 3.
“’I’m excited for the aspect of wellness to shift to queerness, so that we can talk about where can we be safe and show up authentically and what [to do] when we can’t,” McLaughlin said.
The event starts with a free yoga practice and continues with an informative panel and tabling from wellness partners in the community. The activities run from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Other events include Queer Prom, sustainable shopping at Fashion Fluid Closet and free gender-affirming haircuts and braid consultations for ethnic hair at Queer Cuts.
Pride is for All
“I always get questions of like, ‘Hey, if I’m not a part of the community, can I show up to these events?” Avarett said. “And our answer to that is yes. And we want you to.”
Averett explained the objective of the annual celebration is to foster an inclusive and loving environment for everyone.
McLaughlin said allies are encouraged to come to as their authentic selves to experience new perspectives.
The Future of Pride Week at the U
Utah’s H.B. 261 was signed by Gov. Spencer Cox and will become state law on July 1. The law removes diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from public schools and universities in the state.
Averett said she does not know how this will impact the future of Pride Week at the University of Utah, but she is optimistic they will continue to hold events in future years.
“We’re still waiting on some more clarity from our general counsel and from our leadership here at the U,” she said. “My hope just from my professional standpoint is that we are still able to host a Pride Week of this caliber. I’m not sure what it will look like in the future, but I’m optimistic.”
