Marchers with Salt Lake Community College joined an estimated 70,000 people June 5 in Salt Lake City for the first Pride Parade held in three years due to the pandemic. Among the SLCC participants, one SLCC Brutus, the Bruin mascot, and about 50 students, faculty, staff and their friends and family danced, waved flags and beat drums as they looped through the streets of downtown Salt Lake City. Marchers representing a entire family lead the SLCC group with a banner from the SLCC Gender and Sexuality Student Resource Center that read “You Belong Here.” As SLCC marchers passed the announcer's stand, the crowd cheered wildly when it was broadcast that SLCC is the most diverse publicly-supported institution of higher education in Utah.
The history of the Pride Parade dates back to summer 1970 and an anniversary march held to commemorate protests from the previous year that broke out because of a violent police raid at a gay bar in New York City. What became known as the Stonewall riots are considered a significant catalyst for the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement in the United States.
Since that first anniversary parade, Pride parades have taken place all over the United States, and in 1999 President Bill Clinton declared June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, now simply known as Pride Month. Pride parades have become increasingly celebratory as more civil rights for LGBTQ+ individuals have been attained. Since 1969, LGBTQ+ civil rights nationally have been established for marriage, adoption and employment. Systemic injustices, individual discrimination and hate crimes do continue for many in the LGBTQ+ community, and activists continue to push for nationwide public accommodations and fair housing laws.
In Utah, LGBTQ+ rights and issues have recently made the news, including this past January when complaints resulted in a federal civil rights investigation opened into BYU, a private university, for verbally enforcing a same-sex dating ban that had previously been removed from the institution’s written honor code. In March, the second news story broke when civil rights activists spoke out against Utah lawmakers' ban on transgender athletes competing in girls' school sports.
Media attention this past April focused on protestors at SLCC who expressed frustration that a proposal for all-gender restrooms wasn’t included in the construction plans for the new Technical Arts Building. College officials stated that as a state institution, SLCC must conform to the Utah building code, which currently does not make allowances for the proposed all-gender restroom design but that “once the code has been updated, the college is ready to consider all-gender, multi-stall restrooms in its construction and budget plans for new facilities.”
Considering the history of LGBTQ+ civil rights and recent happenings, several SLCC marchers were asked why it was important for them to participate in the Salt Lake City 2022 Pride Parade. Here are some photos from the parade and responses from some participants. Replies are listed below with respondents' first names and preferred pronouns.
Synne: They, them
It's important for me as a member of staff, as a student and as an LGBTQ individual to represent my school that has taken such good care of me and my community that I love very much.
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| Synne |
Salvador: He, him
It's important to show that we care about students. When anyone goes to this college, they should feel welcome. Students need to feel seen, whether that's on campus with the teachers or faculty. If students can see that we have the faculty and staff to support them they will feel more comfortable going to school.
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| Salvador |
Sonja: She, her
I’m here to support my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters.
Bianca: All
I’m here to show my support and also to make sure everybody understands that not everyone is the same, that we are all different, but we should all love each other and it's okay.
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| Bianca and Sonja |
Shay: She, her
I grew up with LGBTQ family, and I just want to support my roommate — to be an ally.
Tyler: He, him
I’m here to make sure that my students and my friends know that I support them, that I support myself. I'm proud of who I am, and I’m here to show that we can be more inclusive as a community.
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| Tyler |
Ari: She, her
I’m here for my siblings and all the people coming after me of Mexican heritage. It's important for them to know that it's perfectly okay to be whomever they choose to be.
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| Shay, Tyler, and Ari |
Casey: She, her
The last time I was here, I was in a wheelchair. I had just had foot surgery, and the whole community was super supportive and helped me get through everything. It's just really great to come out and be a part of the community.
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| Casey and Matt |
Matt: He, him
Representation is a big thing. It's really important to realize that everyone goes through different struggles in life. It's very cool that everyone can come together today with all their struggles and all their beliefs.
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