California Lutheran University held an annual pride flag raising ceremony during PRIDE Fest on Wednesday, April 29. The celebration was in support of the LGBTQ+ community, and brought together student vendors, campus departments and outside organizations on the spine.
Sophomore Rosy Robinson, president of PRIDE Club, said the festival is a “legacy event” that club members worked hard to revive after canceling it last year.
“PRIDE Festival is an event of community and joy, and that’s something I really want people to walk away with,” Robinson said. “Seeing it finally come to fruition and seeing all the lovely community we have here has been really wonderful.”
In terms of planning, Robinson said the journey was not easy. They said the club had to lock in a date early, design all the table layouts, create a playlist and start reaching out to off-campus organizations four to six weeks ahead of time in order to clear all of the university paperwork requirements.
AMGEN, Free Mom Hugs and Planned Parenthood were there in attendance, according to The Hub. Campus Ministry, the Center for Cultural Engagement and Inclusion, the DEJ and several academic departments also partnered with the PRIDE Club to table and show support.
“I’m getting to work to involve a lot of other clubs, organizations and outside campus organizations as well. It’s very collaborative, more so than a lot of other events,” Robinson said. “It’s a huge outreach and educational opportunity.”
Accompanying the flag raising ceremony, Peter Carlson, associate professor of religion, read a blessing written by poet Jay Hulme titled “Beatitudes for a Queerer Church.”
“Blessed are the outcasts; / the ostracized, the outsiders. // Blessed are the scared; / the scarred, the silent. // Blessed are the broken; / for they are not broken. // Blessed are the hated; / for they are not worthy of hate,” Carlson said, reciting Hulme.
Junior Brendan Manipol, an intern for the CCEI, said the annual event is always really special because of the community’s presence.
“I think to me, [the flag raising] means reflecting on the student community and also giving visibility to all students on campus. It’s kind of like how life’s not, like, black and white,” Manipol said. “I think that’s, like, part of what pride’s about is recognizing that there’s so many different differences between us and that we can celebrate it and recognize it and it doesn’t make it a bad thing.”
Manipol said he is familiar with hesitations students may have about attending campus celebrations, but encourages those to follow their gut instinct to become active in the community.
“If it’s ever hard to, you know, find that intrinsic motivation yourself, just know that people want you here. They want to talk to you,” Manipol said.
Senior Eden Benezra, the founder of Twinkly Jewelry, set up a table selling handmade jewelry and accessories after she said she was invited through a connection with Campus Ministry.
“I think it’s great to have everyone support each other,” Benezra said. “Having an event like this is great for visibility for different communities on campus.”
Robinson said the day was a perfect representation of how the festival is meant to be.
“I want people to leave feeling good, have some good food, some fun and also to make some connections in their community with peers, faculty, outside organizations, whoever it may be, to leave knowing someone they didn’t before,” Robinson said.
As the years go on, Robinson said they hope future PRIDE Fests bring more collaboration to fuel the supportive atmosphere for students.
“Continuing to listen to the students and platforming them, giving them space to advocate for their needs—I think that will lead to students feeling more welcomed and increasingly belonging,” Manipol said.
