Spencer Pleasants wants Ole Miss’ LGBTQ students – especially freshmen – to know they have friends on campus.
Last year, the university held it’s first Pride Camp, a day designed to welcome and inform students of the opportunities, safe spaces and support on campus for the LGBTQ community. Pleasants, President of the UM Pride Network, said it’s also about making friends.
“It’s important to know that you’re not alone, especially as a freshman,” Pleasants said. “You’re going to get to know whose faces are going to be apart of your family for years to come.”
Pride Camp will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 in Bryant Hall.
Jaime Harker, director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, said after the Laramie Project incident in 2013, the University of Mississippi was listed in a national survey as one of the worst college environments in the country for LGBTQ students.
“Pride Camp is important for the university because it provides support for students who often feel like outsiders here,” Harker said. “We have tried very hard to change that over the last three years and Pride Camp is one of those initiatives.”
In 2013, the UM Theatre Department performed “The Laramie Project.” The play tells the story of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young, gay student who attended the University of Wyoming, and the community’s reaction to his death.
Many audience members, including an estimated 20 Ole Miss football players, made inappropriate remarks towards the cast members during the production and disrupted the performance.
Jaime Cantrell, faculty advisor for UM Pride Network, said student leaders recognize the significance of building inclusive spaces across campus, and Pride Camp serves to increase awareness of the challenges LGBTQ students face while affording an early opportunity for community building.
Director of the Center of Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement Shawnboda Mead said, given the success of the inaugural Pride Camp, the department will continue to provide this space for students.
“In hopes of further connecting participants to available resources, we’ve invited additional organizations to serve as co-sponsors.” Mead said.
Pride Camp sponsors include the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, the Department of Student Housing, the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, UM Pride Network, Associated Student Body, LGBTQ Alumni Association, OUTLaw and OUTGrads.
The day will contain interaction with faculty and students, informative lectures, a student led panel monitored by Spencer Pleasants about queer life on campus and the experiences queer students face, along with lunch provided by Newk’s and a resource fair.
Participation is free, but registration is required. The deadline for registration is noon on Friday, Aug. 26.
Registration is available at www.inclusion.olemiss.edu/pride-camp.
