The Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging is excited to partner with the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) in recognizing April as PRIDE month at Elizabethtown College. While Pride Month is celebrated nationally in the month of June, Etown is centering its Pride Month programming in April before the majority of students leave campus for the summer to best celebrate together as a campus community.
Etown Does Pride is a month-long celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary and queer (LBGTQ+) social and self-acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride.
April will also feature Etown’s second annual Social Justice Fair on Friday, April 14, offering a series of events in conjunction with the Office of Title IX, Student Wellness and Health Promotion, Center for Community and Civic Engagement, and Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking.
The Fair hopes to open the doors of access and opportunity for everyone, particularly those in greatest need.
Etown Does PRIDE Kick-off | Monday, April 3 at Noon | BSC Patio
The Etown campus community will celebrate the start of Etown Does Pride on the BSC Patio by listening to various speakers kick off the month, while also chalking supportive messages to showcase both Etown’s diversity and community allyship.
STI Awareness | Tuesday, April 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | BSC Concourse
Because April is STD Awareness Month, Etown’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) is partnering with Student Wellness to provide resources and raise awareness of STIs.
Find the Rainbow Easter Egg Treasure Hunt | Monday, April 10 at 12 p.m. through April 20 at 1 p.m. | Throughout Campus – Outdoors
Beginning on Monday, April 10, students can start searching the campus for hidden rainbow easter eggs that contain fun facts about Queer history. At the end of the treasure hunt on April 20, a prize will be awarded to the student who found the most rainbow easter eggs!
Rainbow Rock Painting | Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. | Bird Cage, BSC
Join the campus community in painting supportive messages on rocks and keep those rocks as a reminder to yourself or someone else to show your support!
Second Annual Social Justice Fair, Day of Silence | Friday, April 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Bowers Center
The second annual Social Justice Fair is being organized by the Title IX Office and the Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Office in collaboration with the Center of Community and Civic Engagement, several campus organizations, and residents of the Elizabethtown area community. Students and employees can learn more about each office, club, or nonprofit and discover ways to support it. The fair will also offer resources related to social justice advocacy, as well as offer a chance to recognize the various cultural groups on campus.
During the fair, students can traverse a labyrinth that symbolizes a deliberate journey to our center and back into the world. The labyrinth will be located in the field directly across from Ober Residence Hall (on the way to the Bowers Writers House).
Day of Silence Visit | Friday, April 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. | 117 E. Chestnut Street, Lancaster, Pa.
Etown GSA will join other Queer organizations in Lancaster in celebrating, “Breaking the Silence,” an occasion to honor LGBT students taking back their voices after being silenced throughout history. Music, food, games, and much more will be available! At the entrance, there will also be a voluntary donation collection. Transportation will be provided. To attend the event, which is being led by the Euphrates High School GSA, an RSVP is required through gsa@etown.edu.
Queer Poetry Night | Monday, April 17 at 7 p.m. | Brinser Lecture Room, Steinman Center
Students, staff, and faculty will be able to come together to share poems about being Queer, LGBTQ+ history, and the intersectionality of identities. Participants will have a safe place to reflect on and talk about the shared works.
Movie Night: Closet Monster | Tuesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. | Gibble Auditorium
Closet Monster is a Canadian drama film written by director Stephen Dunn in 2015. In the film, Connor Jessup plays a closeted gay teenager, using elements of the body horror genre as a metaphor for internalized homophobia.
Etown Does PRIDE: Campus Queens | Wednesday, April 19 at 9 p.m. | The KAV
The Etown campus community will come out to celebrate Etown Does Pride with a drag show performance in the KAV. Starring three-year co-hostesses of Central Pa. Pride, Regional Title Holders, and Pennsylvania’s First Singing Queens: Lizzie Beaumont and Betty Whitecastle. The show includes special guests and represents Etown’s acceptance of different forms of expression, as we encourage students to present themselves in ways they are most comfortable. All are welcome to attend this event!
Queer Trivia | Monday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. | Hoover 212
Participate in a trivia event about LGBTQ+ icons in history, Queer pop artists, and even Etown GSA. Have fun while testing your knowledge and win awards!
Queeraoke | Tuesday, April 25 at 8 p.m. | BSC Jay Lounge
Enjoy an evening of performing songs produced by LGBTQ+ artists in the Jay Lounge to end Etown Does Pride with a blast!
Beyond the LGBT Acronym | Wednesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. | Hoover 210
This event will highlight lesser-known identities, offering the campus an opportunity to broaden its understanding of the queer community.
Visit the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging page for more information.