HIGHLIGHT: Pride Center offers inclusive space for all students, events for LGBTQ History Month

Lila Menard, a first-year in exploratory studies makes her own sign at the PrideFest poster-making event at Talley Student Union on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. The poster-making event is one of the events the Pride Center holds to prepare for PrideFest on Oct. 7.

Photo by Sienna Hackshaw, Photo Correspondent

Originally opened as the GLBT Center in January 2008, the LGBTQ+ Pride Center offers resources including celebratory and discussion-based events, counseling, library services and a safe space in the heart of campus.

The core values of the Pride Center are community, well-being and education. The suite reflects this, with flags strewn across the ceiling, plenty of study space, artwork on the walls and stickers and educational pamphlets next to the TV playing calming music.

In honor of LGBTQ+ History Month in October, the Pride Center annually hosts Pridefest. This year, the celebration will include a parade and lawn party in Stanford Commons on Oct. 7, with music, food, creative stations and community resources.

University Libraries and the Pride Center also collaborate annually to create an immersive presentation highlighting LGBTQ+ history and stories. The exhibit, entitled Our Past, Our Futures, will be hosted on Oct. 1-3 in the Cyma Rubin Visualization Gallery of D.H. Hill Jr. Library.

Near the entrance all affiliated organizations are displayed by a sign, serving specific groups on campus. Some of these organizations are related to specific identity groups such as Aces and Aros, Bi/Pan club, T-Files and Ultraviolet. 

Other clubs include oSTEM,a space for queer students in STEM fields, QTBIPOC where events surround discussion of the intersection of queer and racial identity and AthletiQ, a space for LGBTQ+ identifying students interested in athletics.

Kai Nicanor, a second-year majoring in social work and psychology, works for the Pride Center’s social media and serves as a friendly face to all students. As someone who identifies as queer and non-binary, Nicanor said it has been important to them to have a space where their identity is unquestioned.

“I think the thing that excited me the most about NC State was the center and how I could have a place to just be completely myself without having to worry about, ‘what if they’re gonna judge me because I’m queer,’ or try to dead name me or misgender me,” Nicanor said.

Nicanor said they find joy in being able to validate other students’ identities and make them feel safe and accepted.

The Pride Center features a library of books relating to LGBTQ+ experiences, spanning all genres and lengths. Any student can check out books from their library located in the Pride Center suite in Talley Student Union. Their series Rainbow Reading Chat invites speakers to talk about books and themes relating to LGBTQ+ literature.

Reese Croom, a second-year in applied mathematics, said he has had similar experiences interacting with other students. Croom is student coordinator for the Pride Center and comes from a small town where he struggled to find acceptance as a transgender man. He said the center can be a safe haven for students who haven’t been in accepting environments before.

“We’ve had students before where this might be the first place where someone calls him by the right name or pronouns or where their sexuality is seen as normal instead of something that’s wrong,” Croom said.

Croom said finding a supportive community comes in tandem with giving people space to express themselves.

Another signature event is the Queer Quorum, a monthly discussion with student-picked topics. The dialogue is student facilitated and often includes activities to promote multidimensional conversation. Recently, they have been centering wellness as a priority for students and promoting discussion of different facets of social and emotional health.

Drop-in counseling is offered several times a week with their embedded counselor, Jarrett Blaize. These drop-in hours are available to all students, not just those who frequent the Pride Center.

Another popular event is Threads of Identity: Clothing Swap. The Pride Center accepts donations of lightly used clothing and students can have their pick of clothing that aligns with their identity and needs, all for free. This year it will be hosted on Oct. 23 from 1-5 p.m. 

Nicanor said it is their favorite event because it is a sustainable way for students to shop, free for everyone and a cool opportunity to explore new clothing choices.

“This is just like a very wonderful resource, especially if you’re coming into your identity more and you want to work on your gender expression,” Nicanor said.

Nicanor said the Pride Center can seem intimidating to some students, but it truly is a space where every student, whether they are part of the LGBTQ+ community or not, can find acceptance.

“Our job is to validate you, make you feel comfortable,” Nicanor said. “Not because we’re being paid, but also because that’s what we want to do. We want to make people feel safe.”