After a long two years wait, Pride Week is returning to St. Lawrence University. Hosted by the Spectrum Club on campus, there are plenty of activities to be done. Make sure to check out the flyers to see which event you would like to go to. Spectrum will be tabling all week from 11 am to 1 pm with stickers and T-shirts for sale.
The funds raised during the week will be going to ACR Health, a non-for-profit, community-based organization. They have a network of Q-Centers that are “safe places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth, their families and allies to gather” as stated on their website. ACR Health currently serves communities in Watertown and Syracuse but are looking to expand to Canton.
To kick off the week, members of the club will be decorating the student center with all of the rainbows they can get their hands on. The progressive pride flag will also be strung up on the flagpole to remind students of the importance of the LGBT+ community. This will take place on Sunday, April 17.
On Monday April 18 the club will be hosting a faculty and staff dinner. This is an event where the club has invited certain faculty and staff based on their drive for LGBT+ activism and encourage healthy conversation about the climate of the campus. This is an opportunity to discuss what Spectrum could be doing to improve representation on campus.
On Tuesday, April 19 the club will be hosting a speaker and LGBT+ activist, Robyn Ochs. The event will take place in the Winston Room at 7 pm. Robyn will be covering her talk, “Beyond Binaries.” From her website, the program will cover the topic of labels and aim to discuss questions such as: “How do we identify, privately and publicly? Where do we locate ourselves on sexuality and gender continua?” Ochs concludes that the “program will change the way you think about labels and deconstruct binary systems of identity.”
On Wednesday, April 20, Spectrum will table and offer raffle baskets. They will be in the Student Center from 11 am to 1 pm and then from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Again, the proceeds will be going to ACR Health. Gift baskets have been donated by the DUB and Advocates. Students will be able to buy raffle tickets to win a basket and donate to a good cause. T-shirts and stickers will be available as well.
On Thursday April 21 Java and Spectrum will be teaming up to provide a queer Java experience. The barn will be decked out in pride decorations and the set breaks will be some queer hits from the Spectrum playlist. The band playing that week at Java will be “Wine Lips.”
On Friday April 22 the club will be hosting three drag queens from New York City. They are Champagne Bubbles, Anida Tension, and Andora. The event will take place in Eben Holden and will be held at two different times, 5 pm and 8 pm. This is to allow for conflicting schedules as April is a very busy month for events.
Spectrum is very excited for Pride Week and are eagerly awaiting the event’s start. Serena Wells, treasurer of Spectrum, has stated that Pride Week is a good opportunity for queer students on campus and allies to come together to create a safe and fun environment which we do not normally see on campus. Posters outlining the events of the week are around campus for those who wish to attend.