WKU’s Pride Center is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, signifying half a decade of support for LGBTQ+ students on the Hill.

“The center is an integral piece of the campus experience for our students who identify as LGBTQ+,” Lamario Moore, Pride Center sponsor, said. “The Pride Center ensures that every voice is heard and that every student belongs on our hill.”

The center’s mission statement is to “support all LGBTQ, questioning, and allied students at Western Kentucky University.” It accomplishes this through events and educational opportunities.

The Pride Center is also a branch of WKU’s Intercultural Student Engagement Center.

One of the Pride Center’s many resources is a list of WKU staff members who are allies. Some professors expressed why they chose to join the list and why it is important to them.

“Life is tough, no matter who you are,” Fabián Álvarez, an English professor, said. “I want my community, especially my students, to know that I value them, that I accept them as who they are, and that I’m here to support them in whatever way I can.”

The center has provided positive support for students during its first five years, providing a space for underrepresented groups.

“Not only does it serve as a welcoming and safe environment for LGBTQIA+ students to interact with each other and make new connections, but it also helps a once extremely underrepresented group have a presence on campus,” Ray Saul, Vice President of the Queer Student Union, said.

For more information on WKU’s Pride Center, visit the center in Downing Student Union room 2084.

SGA reporter Bailey Reed can be reached at [email protected].