This year, Columbia is hosting a Pride in May celebration, taking place over three days from May 7 to May 9. The first event was a QPOC or Queer People of Color Panel and Mixer. The event aimed to build community among students in attendance and to share their experiences with their identities. The panel featured three student speakers: Howie Alston, John Reyes, and Mar Wynn, the creator of Pride in May.
TRANSCRIPT:
0:04: Get your rainbow gear out of storage early because Columbia is hosting its Pride in May celebration kicking off this week.
0:11: Student Diversity and Inclusion hosted a QPOC Panel and Mixer as the start of the three day celebration.
0:18: So with Pride already being in June, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate with people while they’re still in school.
0:25: School is over in May, so they don’t get to really celebrate here.
0:28: Well, I got to see some beautiful people, and I got to hear some amazing experiences. I think just affirming some of my own feelings and I’m sure a lot of feelings of other queer students and queer people of color here on campus just being seen and being heard.
0:46: The event aimed to bring students together through community building and discussing shared experiences had by those that identify as QPOC, with the panel having a variety of topics including how people of color are treated within the queer community and exploring what parts of being QPOC gave them joy.
1:04: The importance of events like this is, especially this first one with the QPOC panel, is to, you know, start a dialogue about our experiences, things that we go through and just spread awareness. Like we said in the panel, a lot of times I feel like we’re an afterthought when we’re a pillar for a lot of resources and culture and trends that people see today.
1:25: From the panel, it was refreshing to see open dialogue about issues that matter, especially in today’s America, with all the political issues going on and threats to us as individuals and as whole communities. It was nice to see people have such humility about it, but also such sternness and assertiveness into the issues that matter to them, to their families, to their friends, everyone who, you know, is a part of DEI, if you will, when it’s being threatened.
2:02: We as queer people of color are often told that we just don’t have time, you know. If you’re already Black, you’re already Latino, you don’t have time to add another layer and you’re really pushed away from your queer identity and so having the chance to have this space and see my people center stage was really moving.
2:26: While the focus of the event was on highlighting queer people of color, Pride in May hopes to make all students who care to learn about the queer community and all of its intersections feel included.
2:36: You know with this event, people do continue to open themselves up to learn about communities that they might not feel represented in. This community, this program, all of this is open to anyone.
2:47: We’re here to celebrate, here to have fun, here to spread awareness and dialogue, so no one should feel like they’re not welcome in these spaces.
2:54: Pride in May festivities continue Thursday, May 8th, with the Lavender Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. and comes to a fabulous finale May 9th with the Unity In Pride ball.
3:05: This is Ali Brenneman for Chronicle TV.
Copy edited by Matt Brady
