Black lives focus of UofL’s Pride Month events

UofL Pride Month
UofL Pride Month

Throughout the month of October, UofL’s LGBT Center will host a number of virtual events to celebrate Pride Month. This year’s keynote discussions will focus on Black lives.

“UofL’s Pride Month comes at an historic moment for our community and nation following the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. As UofL strives to become a premier anti-racist institution, it is critical we connect students, faculty, staff and community members to these current events by inviting them to explore themes of racial justice and liberation through a Black, LGBTQ+ lens,” said Lisa Gunterman, director, LGBT Center, UofL Belknap Campus.

“The Fight for Black Lives,” a virtual panel discussion amplifying local LGBTQ+ leaders in the movement for Black Lives, is presented by the LGBT Center and Student Activities Board (SAB). The event will take place on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m., and will feature Phelix Crittenden, Hannah Drake, Keturah Herron and Talesha Wilson. #TeamStrangeFruit, Dr. Kaila Story and Jaison Gardner will moderate. Anyone interested can register for the event online.

A second Pride keynote, “Black Trans Lives Matter,” is presented by the LGBT Center and Engage, Lead, Serve, Board (ELSB) and is set for Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. The virtual session will address the need for changes in health care delivery to provide better services for Black trans lives.

“The goal of the discussion is to move toward health equity in the face of staggering violence and health disparities because of systemic racism and transphobia,” Gunterman said.

Registration and information about the event can be found on the LGBT Center website.

While Pride marches and parades typically take place in June to commemorate the Stonewall uprising, UofL celebrates Pride in October, to commemorate LGBTQ history month and because we have more students on campus during the fall semester versus the summer semester. 

Source: Black lives focus of UofL’s Pride Month events (UofL News, Oct. 6, 2020)