On Friday, Oct. 6, Spectrum hosted its second annual pride flag-raising event at the 1742 Splotch. The club invited students and faculty to recognize the historical trajectory of dedicating a month to LGBTQ+ individuals and even had a mini tabling event where everyone could get stickers and flags.
In 1994, high school teacher Rodney Wilson fought for an entire month for the intricate history and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community. Wilson, who was the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, St. Louis Chapter Leader, was inspired by Black History Month and Women’s History Month to create a month for the historical value of queer rights and acknowledging the trailblazers of the postwar era.
Nowadays, he is working on spreading LGBTQ+ History Month worldwide, collaborating with schools and festivals in Italy to create “[LGBTQ+] History Month Italia.”
Before raising the progress pride flag for LGBTQ+ History Month, members of the executive board took turns giving brief yet potent speeches. Club President Nichelle Burt illustrated her gratitude for the event’s outcome and the outpour of support, especially after the Spectrum bench defacement incident.
They asserted that Spectrum “isn’t going anywhere, and we aren’t going to hide ourselves” and circled back to the importance of celebrating a month for a minority group who have historically been pressured to hide who they are.
Vice President Owen Levan-Uhler mentioned the importance of the progress pride flag, its colors representing the intersections of experience and diversity within the queer community. They also implored everyone to recognize the progression of queer rights since the 20th century.
Finally, Secretary Angel Velazquez Ramirez expressed his thankfulness for the ongoing support for Spectrum.
This year’s flag-raising felt immensely impactful, especially after the unfortunate act of vandalism against the club bench. The Spectrum executive board showed an admirable amount of resilience, and the event was also a heartening way of kicking off such a substantial month for the queer community and reaffirming LGBTQ+ students on campus.
