During the month of October, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center, in collaboration with on- and off-campus partners, presents a calendar of events, programs and workshops in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month. The celebration also honors the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (June 1969), which is often credited as the event that sparked the modern gay liberation movement.
LGBTQ+ History Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate queer and trans folks, particularly those of color, who have paved the way. The month includes a documentary screening of “All in My Family” and conversation with director Hao Wu on Oct. 7, a Queer Pool Party on Oct. 13, a De-Stress Fest on Oct. 23 with masks and massages, and much more. The campus community is also invited to participate in educational opportunities including the Safe Zone Workshop on Oct. 9, Navigating Queerness around Campus on Oct. 14 and International Pronoun Day Workshop on Oct. 16. In addition, general meetings for student organizations Pride Union, Qolor Collective and oSTEM and closed discussion groups Embody and Fusion will be held throughout the month.
The Inaugural Potash LGBTQ+ History Month keynote performance will be delivered by Denice Frohman on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium, in partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) and in honor of Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15–Oct. 15). The name of the keynote honors the contributions of Jordan Potash ’98, who as an undergraduate student, wrote the original proposal and garnered campuswide support to establish the LGBT Resource Center.
Denice Frohman. Photo credit: Rashid Zakat
“We are honored to bring Denice Frohman to campus for our inaugural Potash speaker, in partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs. As a Queer, Puerto Rican, Jewish award-winning poet and activist, Denice’s spoken word poetry explores and celebrates intersectional identities, subversion of traditional notions and systems of power, and the diverse parts of being queer and Latinx. Her powerful and unique voice will hopefully inspire all in attendance to reflect on and share their own stories,” says Jorge Castillo, assistant director in the LGBT Resource Center.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the main floor of Bird Library will have an exhibition titled “After Stonewall: The Continuing Struggle for Queer Liberation.” The exhibition includes a short film that explores more than half a century of LGBTQ+ history in the United States from the perspective of the few blocks surrounding New York City’s Stonewall Inn and through the voices of folks who participated in the riots. Additionally, you can find images of an array of queer and trans activists, mostly people of color, before and after Stonewall, whose voices are often left out of the official gay liberation movement narrative. On display are series of posters curated by ArtRage and CNY Arts that gives an overview of LGBTQ+ activism in Syracuse.
This monthlong celebration is made possible through collaborations and sponsorships with the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience; the Disability Cultural Center; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; LGBT Studies Program; the Pronoun, Gender, Preferred Name Advisory Council; ArtRage Gallery; the Burton Blatt Institute’s Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach; Hendricks Chapel; the Intergroup Dialogue Program; Moynihan East Asia Program in the Maxwell School; the Q Center; Women’s and Gender Studies; and local Syracuse alums, organizers and activists.
For more information, visit the LGBT Resource Center in 548 Bird Library, email lgbt@syr.edu or call 315.443.3983.
The full calendar of events with detailed information is available on the LGBT Resource Center website.
