As we enter the month of June, the Bruin community gears up to celebrate Pride Month. On campus, there is a vibrant LGBTQ+ community with various resources, clubs, support systems and education to advocate for LGBTQ+ students and their allies. There are several resources and initiatives here to foster a celebratory Pride Month on our campus and beyond.
Photo via UCLA Newsroom
LGBTQ+ Campus Resource Center
The LGBTQ+ Campus Resource Center in the Student Activities Center orchestrates workshops, counseling, ally training and social events to promote education, advocacy and community engagement. On May 25, the center will host a Queer Creative Writing Space from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event will create an innovative environment for literary creation from an LGBTQ+ perspective. The center also offers several weekly programs encouraging discussion on topics such as liberation through creative expression. Additionally, the center provides the opportunity to join the LGBTQ Student Advocacy Committee, which brings together a community of undergraduate and graduate students who want to discuss and address LGBTQ+ issues on campus.
Student Clubs
There are currently 16 LGBTQ+ clubs on campus, all of which offer different focuses: educational programs, book clubs, pre-health support, news magazines, sexual health and more.
For example, OutWrite Newsmagazine provides several media facets to explore, such as a podcast, online articles, print magazines and playlists. Another club, SWC Sexperts, focuses on promoting awareness of sexual health through events and hour-long workshops. The organization offers four workshops: comprehensive sexual education, consent, sex toy and pleasure. Students can sign up anytime since workshops are planned once the sign-up list has enough numbers. Be sure to follow their Instagram to stay updated on other events they will put on during Pride Month.
UCLA Health
UCLA Health plays an integral role in helping the LGBTQ+ community on campus through its several clinical resources, such as CARE, EMPWR and the Gender Health Program. The Center for Clinical AIDS Research & Education, or CARE, focuses on specialty patient care for HIV/AIDS. EMPWR, meaning “empower,” focuses on well-being by providing a safe environment for helping the LGBTQ+ community work through trauma. The Gender Health Program provides health care for LGBTQ+ students through their medical and mental health experts.
Along with these resources, UCLA Health will also be present as a resource at the LA Pride Festival and Parade. On June 9 and 10, a pride festival will be hosted at Los Angeles Historical Park with performances from Megan Thee Stallion and Mariah Carey — the event will surely be worth the ticket purchase. On June 11 at 11 a.m., the annual LA Pride Parade will be held, starting at Sunset Boulevard and traveling to Highland Avenue. There will be a UCLA Health booth located in Pride Village, which will give important information about the various LGBTQ+ resources they offer.
