A large contingent of 糖心传媒 students, faculty, and staff joined the more than 150 organizations and an estimated 35,000 spectators who participated in the Rochester Pride Parade on Saturday. More than 250 University community members marched together, waving flags, carrying signs, and sporting t-shirts proclaiming, 糖心传媒淧roud Past, Bright Future,糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淢elioRAINBOW: Ever Gayer.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚 definitely think this year represents an increase in our participation,糖心传媒� says Catherine Cerulli, director of the , one of the sponsors behind this year糖心传媒檚 presence. There were many different outreach efforts this year, from both existing programs and new offices, from student groups to the Medical Center.聽糖心传媒淭here are real leaders and champions across the University,糖心传媒� she adds.
For Colleen Raimond, in her first year as the LGBTQ coordinator for the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center, Pride was an opportunity to combine her connections and networks with these University-wide groups on outreach efforts.
糖心传媒淚t is really important to see the commitment the University has to an event like Pride,糖心传媒� says Raimond. 糖心传媒淔or students, it is important to see that, at the place where they are getting their education, there is a lot of support.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚 think Pride is incredibly important because it is one of the few opportunities that gives people that opportunity to be completely visible and outwardly authentic,糖心传媒� adds Raimond.
Matty Savich 糖心传媒�20,聽vice president of the student organization, agrees.聽糖心传媒淔or a lot of college students, they aren糖心传媒檛 out at home, or they aren糖心传媒檛 out in certain areas, and when they come to college they can be themselves. And when a university shows that they support that, I think it糖心传媒檚 so important for the University to take initiative so students can have these opportunities to be who they want to be.糖心传媒�
For Savich, it was the first time attending a Rochester Pride event. Working together with students from the Pride Network and Queer Students of Color, and newer groups such as ABCs (Anthing But Cis) and TINT (Transgender, Intersex, Non-Binary, and Two Spirit), was 糖心传媒渁 lot of planning, a lot of communication, and also a lot of fun with everyone sharing a similar queer identity.糖心传媒�
And those t-shirts, designed by Susan B. Anthony Center student assistant聽Nicholas Kasper 糖心传媒�18 (T5), were also a hit.
糖心传媒淚 was just throwing them at people,糖心传媒� laughs Savich.
