Written by Fourth Estate Online Lifestyle Editor Arrielle Brooks
From March 31 to April 19, Mason continues its yearly trend of Pride Week events. Pride Week 2014 is packed with panels, workshops, and various events that welcome learning and interactions between all members of the Mason community.
All Week
HIV Testing
March 31 to April 3 – (WAVES) SUB 1, Suite 3200 – 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
April 4 – (WAVES) SUB 1, Suite 3200 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
April 4 – JC, Rooms 234 & 243 – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Free, quick, and confidential HIV testing provided by WAVES, NOVA Salud, and GMHC. No needles whatsoever.
March 31
Practices for Sustainable Leadership in Social Justice
SUB 1, Room 3A – 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Guests are encouraged to come, comfortably dressed, to this workshop dedicated to providing support and self-care techniques for individuals fighting for social justice.
Not Leaving it at the Door: Intersections of Identities
SUB 1, Room 3A – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Opening the conversation on intersecting identities, this workshop aims to explore how different individuals in the LGBTQ movement can be forced to abandon or ignore certain parts of themselves while exploring others. Participants will be asked to consider their own hidden identities, and those of others, as they join this conversation.
April 1
Sex, Drugs, & Sex Work
SUB 1, Room 3A – 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
HIPS, an HIV prevention organization based in D.C., hosts a discussion about reducing harm and risk with sex workers and drug users.
Faculty & Staff Social
Mason Inn, The Well – 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Mason’s LGBT Faculty and Staff Alliance invites guests to a social gathering where they can enjoy an evening of refreshments and celebrate positive changes within the LGBTQ community this past year.
Mad Hatter Pre-Drag Tea Party
Aquia Courtyard – 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Come out and join the upcoming Drag Show’s talented student performers in a night of Wonderland inspired games, prizes, and much more.
April 2
Pride is Classy
Women & Gender Studies Center, JC 240K – 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Come meet professors from Women and Genders Studies as they help prospective students discover the wide range of upcoming Fall 2014 classes focusing on gender and sexuality. Also, French pastries galore.
Does God REALLY Love the Gays?
SUB 1, Room 4210 – 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
With ongoing debates about religion and homosexuality today, select panelists from Mason and related communities will discuss what holy texts have to say about homosexuality. They will discuss how re-examining traditional interpretations will impact not only LGBTQ individuals, but loved ones and allies as well.
GMU Pride Alliance Meeting
JC, Meeting Room C – 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This workshop invites guests to learn about the various questions, communities, experiences, and issues that impact the LGBTQ community outside of “gay marriage.” All identities are welcome.
April 3
Content Media Analysis of Queer People of Color and Why POC Feminism Exists
JC, Room B – 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
This session will dip into the various mediums (blogs, web series, social media platforms, etc.) that queer people of color utilize to make their voices heard within the feminist movement.
I Have HIV & Why You Should Care
SUB 1, Room 4210 – 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
People diagnosed with HIV deal with a unique set of challenges and experiences that this forum plans on covering. Guests will be given an honest discussion about what it means to be diagnosed with HIV and how to lift the stigma associated with it.
April 4
Asexuality: The Invisible A
SUB 1, Room 4210 – 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A workshop exploring the misconceptions of asexual identities, non-sexual relationships, and the challenges of living in a sex-centric culture.
Drag Show
JC Atrium – 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Witness some of DC’s and Mason’s talented drag queen and king performers in this year’s annual drag show.
April 5
Pride Film Series
Hampton Roads, Multipurpose Room –11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Popcorn and Pizza with a Side of Pride; a film festival celebrating the cinematic achievements of LGBTQ individuals is offering a day of various films and refreshments.
April 7
Safe Zone Training
SUB 1, Room 3334 – 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
This day of training is open to people who register for Mason’s Safe Zone Program, which is dedicated to creating safe and inclusive environments on campus. Register by March 31 at http://lgbtq.gmu.edu/safe-zone/register-for-a-training/.
April 19
The Campaign Film Showing
Research Hall, Room 163 – 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Mason is hosting a viewing of “The Campaign,” a documentary following six grassroots organizers fighting for marriage equality in the face of California’s controversial Proposition 8. The filmmaker, Christie Herring, will join other LGBTQ rights leaders on a question panel after the viewing.
For additional information on Pride Week events, visit http://lgbtq.gmu.edu/.
(Photo by Amy Rose)
