Pride Club provides a safe space for LGBT students
Lauren Fitch // Organizations Editor
Students at High Point University need a safe space to talk about issues like sexuality, and HPU Pride is here to provide it. Pride stands for People Representing Individuality, Diversity and Equality, which is the baseline of the club.
Students in Pride Club meet once a week in Norton 202 to discuss issues that specifically pertain to the LGBT community.
“Anyone in the community is welcome,” says President Elaine McClain-Rowe. “Our goal is to be a safe place within the community for anyone who needs it.”
In a time where America is clearly divided over a “culture war,” it can be tough to come out during college years. HPU Pride is a place where students can explore their sexual orientation or gender identity without needing to be afraid of being outed or pressured to be a certain way. This is very appropriate, as HPU has been interested in increasing diversity and the amount of diverse organizations on campus.
HPU Pride also plans bonding events for students. Last semester, they held a movie night in celebration of LGBT appreciation week. This semester, Pride Club is planning a day of silence event to recognize LGBT people who continue to struggle every day.
“My main goal is to make the club a place where its members really want to go, where even new members feel comfortable and at home,” McClain-Rowe said. “I’d also like to increase membership and our campus presence, while keeping our club activities fun and varied.”
While the number of club members isn’t as high as McClain-Rowe would like it to be, she hopes that the upcoming day of silence will increase the clubs’s visibility on campus. Getting more members involved will help the club to serve the LGBT community, which is always the goal.
Pride is planning service events for the upcoming semester. Any student who wants to get involved can contact McClain-Rowe at emcclain@highpoint.edu.