Mark your calendar: UCOP gets ready to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month in June
May 19, 2014 •
San Francisco’s annual Pride Parade gets all the headlines, but if you work at OP, there’ll be lots of fun and collegial activities happening right here in June to celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride month.
Festivities — including ice cream, a speaker, photo exhibits and a happy hour ferry ride — are sponsored by UCOP Pride and aim to keep the theme of diversity and inclusion going all month.
They are kicking off festivities with an ice cream social, Tuesday, June 3, 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Franklin rooftop garden, featuring an appearance and remarks by UC President Janet Napolitano along with ice cream treats. (Download event to my calendar.)
On Tuesday, June 17, 12 to 1:30 p.m. in 5320 Franklin, a representative of the American Red Cross will speak on opening up blood donation eligibility to men with same-sex partners. (Download event to my calendar.)
And on Friday, June 27, ride a ferry into San Francisco on the eve of this year’s San Francisco Pride Celebration, which takes place June 28 and 29. UCOP staff will meet up at Jack London Square at 5:30 p.m. to board the 5:50 p.m. ferry for happy hour drinks and mingling. You’ll be able to purchase either a one-way or round-trip ticket on the ferry or use your Clipper card. (Download event to my calendar.)
Keep an eye out for the “Faces of Pride” photo exhibit in the Franklin lobby. The exhibit, which will be on display June 9-27, will feature photos of UCOP staffers, along with their stories of pride and community.
More details about all the events will be announced in Link as we get closer to the dates.
Celebrated each June, LGBTQ Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Riots, which started at New York City’s Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. The riots followed a police raid, a common occurrence for gay-patronized establishments at the time. The violent protest that night sparked several days of battles with police that ignited the modern struggle for LGBTQ rights worldwide.
UCOP Pride is dedicated to providing advocacy, education and community building for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex community within UCOP and beyond. To find out more about the group or join their listserv, contact Karin Rice at Karin.Rice@ucop.edu.
