LGBTQ+ History Month

2024 Theme: Queering Creation Brick By Brick

The spirit of creation has always been central to Queer life. In hostile environments, we turn to art and creative endeavors to express our truths and build community. Queer and Trans artists like Chella Man, Daniel Arzola, and David Wojnarowicz have used their art as activism beyond surface-level representation. Shea Diamond’s melodic voice critiques systems while musicians in the Queercore movement use rage to thrash against oppression. 

At the same time, the brick represents both this creative spirit and a revolutionary resolve -  a tool of both disruption and construction. To pay homage to the Trans women of color who founded our movements, we often say that Marsha P. Johnson threw the first metaphorical brick at the Stonewall riots. Bricks serve as a reminder that the histories of Queer people are built into the origins of our society. 

Here at UMD, bricks are as much a symbol of Queer revolution as a reminder of the oppressive histories within these walls. UMD’s foundations were laid through the lives and labor of enslaved people and built over the lands of the Piscataway people. The brick symbolizes not only our collective Queer histories and elders, but also represents our interconnected struggle towards creating a liberated future for all.

Within each of us is the capacity to imagine and create - we are all visionaries who can Queerly build a future of joy and freedom together brick by brick.

Other LGBTQ+ Programming at UMD

These meetings and resources have been taking place throughout the year at UMD and will continue even after Pride Month!

Weekly meetings of LGBTQ+ Student Groups

There are nine student-facilitated LGBTQ+ student discussion groups that have meetings weekly or biweekly, most of which take place in the LGBTQ+ Equity Center (2218 Marie Mount Hall). Head over to the Student Groups webpage run by LGBTQ+ Equity Center webpage for an up-to-date list of their meeting times and locations.

Counseling Resources

The Counseling Center is a safe and inclusive space where counselors provide support to students from underrepresented populations.

Rainbow Walk-In

Free unscheduled time with a counselor is available to LGBT students. Find more information about Drop-In Hour: Safe and Inclusive Support on the Counseling Center website.

Group Counseling

The Student of Color LGBTQ+ Support Group is open to undergraduate and graduate students of Color who represent the sexual orientation and gender continuum. Members of the group are invited to participate in co-creating a space to discuss identity, coming out, transitioning, relationships, struggles, victories, and more - a space to decompress, share what's on your mind, and find support.

The LGBTQIA+ Support Group provides a co-created space for non-heterosexual (e.g., bi, asexual, queer, lesbian, gay) and gender expansive (e.g., transgender, genderqueer, agender, gender non-conforming) undergraduate and graduate students to engage in discussions around their identities, coming out and/or transitioning experiences, relationships, families, as well as struggles and victories.