USU Marks LGBTQIA+ History Month With Events for Queer Aggies & Allies

Utah State University is celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month with a full slate of new events and returning traditions.

The events aim to "have students know that they belong here, they are celebrated, and we can empower each other to make USU inclusive for everyone," according to Erika-Danielle Lindstrom (she/her), USU Inclusion Center program coordinator.

This month will provide a unique look into trans history with a lecture from Professor Jen Manion (they/them) of Amherst College. Manion's lecture, 6 p.m. Oct. 19, will draw from their 2020 book Female Husbands: A Trans History. The book explores the phenomenon of people assigned female at birth who, often at great risk, lived as men and married women in the U.S. and U.K. from the colonial era to the early 1900s.

Other upcoming events include:

Oct. 11: Coming Out Monologues

The first USU "Coming Out Monologues" will be an open-mic celebration of all things queer from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Hub in the 1st floor of the Taggart Student Center. LGBTQIA+ community members will share their experiences and thoughts via poetry, the spoken word and more.

Oct. 14: Allies and Cocoa/Coffee

Aspiring allies are invited to cocoa or coffee from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 14 in Room TSC 315 of the Taggart Student Center, where they can learn about the Gender & Sexuality Program, allyship opportunities, and other ways to reduce barriers for LGBTQIA+ Aggies.

Oct. 17 & 19: Allies Training

More education opportunities for allies will be available over Zoom the following week. On Oct. 17, a two-hour web-conference training session for allies will cover key terminology, microaggressions, state laws and other topics impacting LGBTQIA+ people locally.

On Oct. 19, a similar training session will cover trans and nonbinary allyship. Registration for both sessions is available on the USU Gender & Sexuality Program's website.

The allyship seminars will next return Nov. 7 and 14.

Earlier in the month, the Inclusion Center partnered with Aggie Blue Bikes for the 2nd annual Out For a Ride scavenger hunt and costume contest on the Quad, and the CHAOS Learning Lab helped community members create their own e-textile masks to facilitate a conversation on the concept of masking.

For those wanting to display their support for LGBTQIA+ Aggies, the Inclusion Center has free Progress Pride buttons available in its offices, Room TSC 315 of the Taggart Student Center.