October is LGBTQ History Month, an opportunity for us to recognize and honor the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) members of UNLV. June marked the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride Month, which was born from a Pride March in New York City in 1970. The march took place on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, resistance in the LGBTQIA community resulting from an early morning police raid of the Stonewall Inn.

This history is acknowledged on our own campus in the residence halls. The Stonewall Suites were established in 2017, thanks to advocacy from our own student body. It’s one of several thematic floors that invite students to live and learn alongside others with the same interests and experiences. 

I hope you will join the Office of Student Diversity and Social Justice for events this week as they honor LGBTQ History Month. The more we learn about each other, the more we can contribute to a truly inclusive, equitable community where everyone feels welcome, heard, and deeply valued.