At UVU, we celebrate Pride Month and our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty. Our diverse student body pushes all of us to learn more about the world around us and embrace intersectionality and diversity in academia, the workplace, and our community.
On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall riots began at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan. A year later, the first gay pride marches took place across the United States to mark the event’s anniversary. Since then, Pride Month events take place every June across the world to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities. These pride events are opportunities to honor the community’s achievements, promote social and self-acceptance, and campaign for LGBTQ+ rights.
At UVU, we celebrate Pride Month and our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty. Our diverse student body pushes all of us to learn more about the world around us and embrace intersectionality and diversity in academia, the workplace, and our community. We advocate for the well-being of all of our students and believe in the importance of diversity and inclusion at all levels of the university.
UVU is dedicated to connecting LGBTQ+ Wolverines to the resources and community they need to thrive in higher education. Support and acceptance are critical to student success, and we believe in the power that education has to transform students’ lives. Join us this June as we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community at UVU and the unique voices they bring to our school.
Celebrate Pride Month with UVU! We have events all month long for all students looking to connect with the LGBTQ+ community and learn more about UVU’s resources and initiatives dedicated to LGBTQ+ Wolverines year-round.
A Place for Pride: Collect Your Colors
Bring your imagination and passion for LGBTQIA+ culture and community to create pride swag bags to take to pride events. Decorate your tote bag and fill it with pride buttons, stickers, and accessories to wear and share.
May 31-June 2 | 1-4 pm | LA 126
Utah Pride Parade
UVU will be participating in the 33rd annual Utah Pride Parade, Utah’s largest LGBTQIA+ event. 150,000 spectators and participants gather every year to celebrate the queer community. Learn more on the Utah Pride website.
June 4 | 10 am-12 pm | Downtown Salt Lake City
Poster Exhibit
Learn more about 10 queer trailblazers who have shaped the LGBTQIA+ community through our poster walk across campus. The exhibit will be displayed for the entire month of June in the following campus locations:
LGBTQ+ people, events, and stories have existed throughout history and beyond the modern gay rights movement. This history is still being written, both in Utah and the rest of the U.S. Learning about the events that have shaped Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ rights movement gives us a deeper understanding of the issues the community continues to face today.
1966: Compton’s Cafeteria Riot
Three years before the Stonewall riots in New York City, the Compton’s Cafeteria riot took place in San Francisco in response to police harassment of drag queens and transgender people, especially trans women. The event was one of the first riots in the United States related to LGBTQ+ rights, especially transgender rights.
1969: Stonewall Riots
A routine police raid on Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan, sparked nearly a week of rioting beginning on June 28, 1969. Protestors and activists demanded the right to openly express their sexual orientation without fearing arrest. The Stonewall riots were a pivotal moment in the 20th-century fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
1981: HIV/AIDS Epidemic Begins
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. began in 1981. Because the condition continues to disproportionately affect gay and bisexual cisgender men, the epidemic led to increased stigmatization and violence toward the LGBTQ+ community. To date, around 700,000 people have died of HIV/AIDS in the U.S.
1998: East High School Gay-Straight Alliance
Students at East High School sued the Salt Lake City School District after being barred from forming a gay-straight alliance. The federal ruling in favor of the EHS students made headlines and brought gay-straight alliances to the nation’s attention.
2014: Kitchen v. Herbert
Same-sex marriage was legalized in Utah eight months before nationwide protection and legalization. Utah’s gay marriage ban was found to be unconstitutional after three same-sex couples challenged it in 2013.
2015: Obergefell v. Hodges
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples under the 14th Amendment. The decision legalized and protected gay marriage across the country.
2020: Utah Conversion Therapy Ban
Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed an executive order prohibiting conversion therapy on minors in 2020. The practice has been discredited by medical and mental health professionals and has been found to harm those who experience it. Utah is only the 19th state to ban conversion therapy on minors.
LGBTQ+ Student Services is designed for students who are seeking LGBTQ-related services, support, and opportunities for personal growth, safety, and a sense of belonging. We put student needs at the center of our mission and provide resources to the UVU community seeking greater understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.
LGBTQ+ Student Services provides one-on-one advising and support, student support discussion groups, student leadership development, and more.
Spectrum: Queer Student Alliance at UVU
