Ohio University celebrates Pride 2020 with virtual events

Ohio University’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.

“Pride has a deeply intersectional history, rooted in taking a stand against discrimination, celebrating diversity and solidarity, and speaking up for what’s right,” Dr. Jan Huebenthal, assistant director of the LGBT Center, said. “I think we’re seeing this very impulse across our country during these challenging times.”

This year’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: “Bi+ Identities and Experiences” on June 10 and “Beyond the Binaries” on June 17. Ochs’ 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.

• “TPott’s Table Talk” 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.

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

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 bit.ly/OHIOPride.

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