Members of the community came together on Monday to celebrate Pride on Indiana University (IU) Northwest’s campus. IU Northwest hosted the walk that looped around the campus. Passing by cars honked in support of the walk, and at the walk there were members of the IU Northwest community including students, staff, and faculty. The event also featured speakers and refreshments.
Amy Diaz, chief of staff in the Office of the Chancellor, started the event last year in partnership with Assistant Professor Dr. Patrick Johnson.
“Dr. Patrick Johnson is actually a member of the LGBTQ community and I'm an ally,” said Diaz. “We were looking for a way to partner and be visible. This is our second annual walk that we hope will continue to grow and bring visibility to the dignity of all human beings.”
Johnson and Diaz wanted to have events on the IU Northwest campus to celebrate Pride. The walk is one of several Pride events that are happening this week at IU Northwest.
“Last year, we started with a march that had around 50 people,” said Johnson. “This year, we decided we're going to grow it a little bit to include festivities afterwards. We also have other events - tomorrow we have a documentary screening of ‘The Stonewall’ followed by a discussion. On Thursday, we have a Zoom panel discussion with some lawyers and some faculty members talking about the current legal state for LGBTQ individuals.”
A theme at the event was that everyone is welcome at IU Northwest. For some of the student attendees, it was about making that message clear.
Monday’s walk gave out t-shirts that said “Everybody is Welcome” on the back, a theme supported by those who attended.
“Everyone should be welcome, and everyone should be appreciated,” said IU Northwest Rising Senior Safoora Shad. “We support and love everyone, and they should feel safe at the campus that they go to.”
Having a welcoming community is something the students want to contribute to. It was the first year that Shad, and Rising Seniors Jennifer Dejanovich and Raina Hertl came to the Pride walk. They came out in support of IU Northwest being a welcoming campus for all.
“We're a pretty small campus, so it is nice to see that things are being held for everybody,” said Hertl. “Everybody should feel included here.”
For the LGBTQ community, the walk is a step toward acceptance and inclusion.
“We're just people who want acceptance, and we just want to be part of society,” said Johnson.
Accepting everybody and welcoming them at IU Northwest is a message that the university champions.
“Everyone is welcome here, and that is the most important thing for us,” said Diaz. “You are safe here, and you are going to be celebrated here. There is going to be space for you, and we want to be partners to help you get more space should you need it. For commuter school, we have a variety of individuals at this campus, and we want to celebrate every single one of them.”
There are additional Pride Month activities happening at IU Northwest. On Tuesday, there is a film screening and discussion of the film “Stonewall Rising'' in the Library Conference Center. On Thursday, there is a Zoom discussion of LGBTQI+ rights and legislation. For more information visit northwest.iu.edu.
