51ĀŅĀ×

51ĀŅĀ×ā€™s LGBT Center invites all Bobcats to join in celebrating Pride Month during the month of June with a range of virtual events.

Due to COVID-19, the typical in-person, joyous celebrations that surround Pride Month, including Athens Pride Fest, will adhere to the social distancing guidelines and move all events and programs to a virtual format.

Pride Month is celebrated each June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York. The Stonewall Riots, led by transgender women of color, were a catalyst for the early Gay Liberation Movement. Today, Pride celebrations continue to inspire celebration and action in the pursuit of social justice for LGBTQ+ people across the world.

ā€œPride has a deeply intersectional history, rooted in taking a stand against discrimination, celebrating diversity and solidarity, and speaking up for whatā€™s right,ā€ Dr. Jan Huebenthal, assistant director of the LGBT Center, said. ā€œI think weā€™re seeing this very impulse across our country during these challenging times.ā€

This yearā€™s Pride events include:

June 10 and 17, 3-4:30 p.m.

• Robyn Ochs, a nationally renowned activist and speaker on bisexuality, gender, and coalition-building, will lead two workshops: ā€œBi+ Identities and Experiencesā€ on June 10 and ā€œBeyond the Binariesā€ on June 17. Ochsā€™ engaging workshops are interactive and deeply thought-provoking.

June 10, 6-8 p.m.

• LGBTQ+ Alumni Mixer invites all recent (and not so recent) LGBTQ+ OHIO graduates to virtually share space and reflect on their journey since their time at OHIO.

June 18, 4-6 p.m.

• SpeakOUt, a storytelling program that focuses on the experiences of trans-identified Bobcats. SpeakOUt panels center individual stories and narratives in a spirit of appreciative and inclusive dialogue. The panel will be followed by a WriteOUt workshop led by Dr. Christopher Lewis to teach participants about putting their own story in writing.

June 19, 2 p.m.

• ā€œTPottā€™s Table Talkā€ is an educational program facilitated by student staff member TPott Potter to bring together an intergenerational panel to discuss African American LGBTQ+ experiences and identities.

Every Friday, the LGBT social media channels (@OULGBTCenter) will also publish #RainbowResilience videos in which OHIO LGBTQ+ students share tips to stay healthy, active, and resilient during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

ā€œWe put together a schedule of events that mirrors many of the celebratory and reflective qualities of in-person events,ā€ Micah McCarey, director of the LGBT Center, said. ā€œWe invite all of our OHIO community to browse our event schedule and register for all events they find meaningful.ā€

All events will take place virtually on Microsoft Teams. We invite all OHIO students, staff, faculty members, and community members to register for the above events at .

For questions, concerns or more information, please email Micah McCarey at mccarey@ohio.edu.