Celebrating Pride Month at Brooklyn College
June 3, 2021
Dear Brooklyn College Community,
Pride month is celebrated every June in tribute to those involved in the Stonewall riots, which began on June 28, 1969 in New York City. Each year during this month, we recognize and celebrate the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and how they have influenced and enriched society.
The LGBTQ+ community joined together with the diverse voices of the social-justice movement at that time and continues to demonstrate their solidarity with the ongoing struggle for social change. Like the community at large, our campus community is also focused on raising awareness through unity. Our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty and their allies continue to educate and build community by hosting workshops, events, and creating affinity groups and student clubs.
Kelly Spivey, a technology manager in the Film Department, now leads the LGBTQ Resource Committee. She says, “as the new chair of the LGBTQ Resource Committee, I’m dedicated to making sure we have ‘pride’ in ourselves all year long. That begins with a commitment to supporting one of our most-valued resources on campus, the LGBTQ Resource Center. I am also committed to ensuring that our diverse LGBTQIA students feel welcome and supported on campus, no matter what month of the year it is.”
It is important to highlight our LGBTQ Resource Center, a welcoming and safe space focused on programming and advocating for issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community.
Reflecting on Pride month, David P. McKay ‘93, the center’s director, says: “We are one…and yet not one. We are cis- and transgender. We are Black. We are Asian and Asian-Pacific. We are Hispanic and Latinx. We are White. And we are everything in between. We are special. And we are so, so proud.”
Additionally, CUNY has launched new initiatives to support LGBTQ+ students, including the New Advocacy Academy and summer internship programs that provide career-engagement opportunities and training for the LGBTQ+ leaders of tomorrow. More information can be found at https://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2021/06/01/cuny-launches-new-initiatives-to-support-lgbtqi-students/.
Thank you,
Anthony Brown, Esq.
Chief Diversity Officer and Special Assistant to the President
Office of Diversity and Equity Programs
Brooklyn College
718.951.4128
Anthony.Brown@brooklyn.cuny.edu
