Celebrating Pride Month
June marks Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Pride Month. Originally celebrated to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Greenwich Village, Pride Month has grown to be a recognition of the impact LGBTQI+ individuals have had and continue to have, on history at home, across the nation, and abroad.
At WSU, we honor and celebrate the tremendous contributions that LGBTQI+ community members make to our university every day. We are grateful for the system‑wide efforts of the President’s Commission on Gender and Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation (GIESO) and the Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Center (GIESORC). We also applaud the great work being done on all of our campuses, including WSU Vancouver’s Center for Intercultural Learning and Affirmation (CILA) and the MOSAIC Center at WSU Tri‑Cities. Their commitment ensures that students, faculty, and staff feel supported not only during Pride but throughout the year.
This spring, GIESO gave out its first‑ever faculty/staff award and LGBTQIA2S+ student scholarship in recognition of Cougs who have made significant contributions to our vibrant and inclusive university culture. Awards like these reaffirm that through advocacy and allyship, we can all do our part to support LGBTQ+ individuals at our campuses and in our communities.
The work of GIESO, GIESORC, CILA, MOSAIC Center, and other LGBTQI+ and ally organizations at WSU serve as important models for the entire WSU community. As Cougs, we must remain committed to strengthening inclusion and belonging on all of our campuses so that everyone feels empowered to be uniquely who they are.
In honor of Pride, we ask that all WSU employees continue to be an ally. If you have not yet completed the LGBTQ+ Ally Training available through Human Resource Services, we encourage you to join the growing number of faculty and staff who already have. Education and inclusivity are at the core of our mission as a land‑grant university, and we are proud to keep making strides in these areas this month and every month after.
You can also demonstrate your support for Pride Month by adopting WSU‑branded Pride Month photo frames and stickers for your social media accounts. It’s a small way to show that being a Coug means standing for inclusion, equity, justice, and advocacy for everyone in the Coug nation and beyond.
Happy Pride!
KIRK H. SCHULZPresident, WSU SystemELIZABETH S. CHILTONProvost and Executive Vice PresidentChancellor, WSU PullmanDAVID CILLAYVice President, Academic Outreach and InnovationChancellor, WSU GlobalDARYLL DEWALDVice President, Health SciencesChancellor, WSU SpokaneSANDRA HAYNESChancellor, WSU Tri‑CitiesMEL NETZHAMMERChancellor, WSU VancouverPAUL PITREChancellor, WSU Everett