Heritage & Culture unites student groups for LGBTQ+ History Month

Students at Utah State University had an opportunity to learn about LGBTQ+ history as campus organizations collaborated to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. 

Heritage & Culture brought student organizations together at Utah State to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and create educational opportunities that foster a sense of belonging at Utah State. 

On Oct. 6, Heritage & Culture hosted an LGBTQ+ History Month event at the TSC Tanner Fountain Plaza. According to Trhas Tafere, the program coordinator for Heritage & Culture, this was the first time the program hosted the event since the Inclusion Center closed. 

“This was the first time the Heritage & Culture Center hosted this event after the Inclusion Center was closed down a few years back,” Trhas said. 

Heritage & Culture promotes cultural awareness and education within the Utah State community. Before July 1, 2024, the Inclusion Center hosted similar events, giving student organizations such as the Black Student Union, Queer Student Alliance and Asian Student Association opportunities to host cultural celebrations and awareness events. 

Following the passage of Utah House Bill 261, Utah State closed down the Inclusion Center and restructured its services. Student support services shifted to central offices, including the CARE Office and the Center for Academic Belonging and Learning Excellence. Student organizations, including the QSA, BSU and ASA, moved under Student Involvement & Leadership. 

From September to November, Heritage & Culture brings awareness to National Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month. The program aims to provide students with opportunities to learn about and celebrate different cultures and communities. 

“The goal of our events is to bring an environment for people to feel celebrated and to also allow students who are allies or students who would like to learn more about the event, to learn more about the celebrated month,” said Shelly Ortiz, director of Student Involvement & Leadership. 

For the LGBTQ+ History Month event, the QSA collaborated with the BSU, the CARE Office, and the Native American Student Council during the planning process. 

Tafere said the collaboration allowed the organizations to highlight different aspects of LGBTQ+ history and culture. The BSU highlighted Black queer icons, while the NASC incorporated spirituality into its booth. 

When looking back at what success the event had, Heritage & Culture was pleased with the event’s educational value that was presented to students, and Ortiz said it provided an opportunity to highlight history that is often overlooked. 

“This was a great educational moment to highlight some history that is traditionally not shown or left out just because it is hard to find a section for it,” Ortiz said. 

Ortiz and Tafere estimated 500 students participating in the event.  

Tafere said the event’s timing and location helped attract students who were leaving class. 

“When planning the event, there was an overlap with the mental health day event happening at the same time. I have to give credit to our location and time frame. I believe that because we were just at the right time and place when students were leaving class, we had a lot of participation,” Tafere said. 

Evelyn Healey, a freshman studying in biochemistry, attended the event and shared why it was meaningful to her. 

“I am an ally to the QSA and when I saw the event it moved me. I think it is important to have a month to remember the history and its importance to its community. The LGBTQ community has had its hard-fought moments, and I like how the event highlighted many parts and gave us students a chance to learn,” Healey said. 

Healey also noted the willingness of students to engage and participate with the event.  

“I like how there are so many people willing to listen to what each booth has and engage with what the event has prepared,” Healey said. 

Looking back on the event, Ortiz said the program was pleased with the turnout and the educational opportunities it provided. 

“Our goal is always to bring awareness and educational opportunities for students to learn and immerse in. We are all happy with how things turned out,” Ortiz said. 

Tafere said the program hopes to expand future events by involving more members of the off-campus community. 

“We worked with a lot of on-campus resources to see what students might like. Even though this was made on such short notice, I think we would like to be open to off campus community involvement for the future,” Tafere said.