LGBTQ+ Resource Center to celebrate 15th anniversary to kick off LGBTQ History Month

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Board of Regents' recognition of The University of New Mexico's LGBTQ+ Resource Center as an official University center serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.

However, the presence of the LGBTQ community on the UNM campus dates back to 1971, when it was called the Juniper Club. Over the years, the name has evolved as the community grew. It later became the Gay, Lesbian Student Union, followed by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Student Union, which was the name when students began working on opening up a dedicated center for the LGBTQ community.

The Board of Regents and administrative officials at the time thought that calling it a "resource center" might be controversial, so the name "LGBTQ" was settled on by officials and students advocating for the effort.

The Resource Center has grown its services extensively over the years. The Safe Zone workshop remains a capstone service of the Center. This three-hour workshop is administered to students, staff, faculty, and community members to provide a greater understanding of Trans and Queer terminology, the coming out process, policies that UNM has to ensure an individual's name and pronouns are affirmed and used, as well as case studies to help attendees apply the skills they have learned to real-life scenarios.

Last spring the Resource Center opened the Rainbow Rack, a free gender-affirming closet for anyone to utilize. Two student groups, UNM AJAAS and Juniper Reimagined, use the Center for their weekly meetings. The Center's most utilized service this semester is the free printing services available to students.

As part of the 15-year anniversary of the LGBTQ Resource Center, a flag-raising ceremony will be held on Oct. 1 at 11 a.m. Several speakers will participate, including Flores, Vice President of the Division for Change and Empowerment (DiCE), Assata Zerai, and a student. Once the flag is raised, they'll march from Scholes Hall to the SUB Plaza and hold their Pride Howl from 12 to 1 p.m. Additional festivities will include music, a drag show, and light refreshments, including a lemonade bar and cookies.

"We'll get to kick off the month with Lobo Pride because one of the constant issues I have with Pride Month is that it's in June when we don't have a lot of students on campus," said Flores. "We always want to try to do something in October to involve students in some Pride activities. This is a great opportunity to celebrate LGBTQ History Month."

Additional activities that will be celebrated throughout the month include Queer Cumbia and Loteria at El Centro de la Raza on Oct. 14 from 5 to 8 p.m., a Pride Brunch on Oct. 25 at Draft & Table from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Mole Making on Oct. 29 in celebration of Dia de Los Muertos that will give the LGBTQ community the opportunity to have an intergenerational conversation centered around grief and loss.

The proceeds from the Pride Brunch will go toward student scholarships. The LGBTQ Resource Center will also be fundraising throughout the course of the year to bolster its scholarship fund. They've set a goal of $25,000 for student scholarship.

"There is a lack of education around the facts for so many trans and queer folks we love and lose in private," Flores said. "We don't get to grieve our partners sometimes especially in the eighties and nineties and our friends who died of HIV and AIDS. I think the younger folks don't understand that so we're trying to make an effort towards those individuals by giving them that generational knowledge. Our hope is that the new name makes everyone feel more comfortable and much more inviting."

Flores also noted the growth of the LGBTQ community and the Center over the years due to the leadership of several influential women including former DEI Director Jozi De Leon, who helped open the Center, DEI Project Manager Donna Lopez and former administrative assistant Lorena Blanco Silva, one of the unsung heroes of the Center.