UNE faculty, students and professional staff join thousands in Pride Portland! parade and festival

About 50 members of the UNE community participated in the Pride Portland! parade on Saturday, June 16, 2018, as a show of support for LGBTQ people on campus and in the community.

“It’s extremely important for UNE to be visible in its support of diversity. By getting involved it shows UNE supports diversity, not only within our campus community, but within the larger community. I think it’s an important thing for people to see,” said Joel Pelletier, B.A., staff assistant, Graduate and Professional Student Affairs.

Each year Pride Portland! brings people together for 10 days of events to celebrate the accomplishments of the LGBTQ movement, raise awareness of the community’s ongoing struggles, and foster an environment of inclusivity.

“As a physician assistant and educator, I feel it is important that those of us in the health care field see each individual as someone to be respected and to be compassionate toward,” said Adjunct Professor Kirsten Thomsen, PA.

The Parade and Festival is the biggest celebration of the event. Thousands of people marched through the streets of the city, ending up in Deering Oaks Park for the festival.

UNE was joined at this year’s event by more than 100 organizations, including businesses, religious organizations and other educational institutions. This was UNE’s fourth year participating in the parade. Members of the University delegation carried a large banner and rode in a UNE-branded convertible.

“I believe the true nature of the parade is for everyone to come together to show support, be proud of who they are and to cheer on people, making them feel loved and accepted,” said Erica Rousseau, M.A., interim director, Intercultural Student Engagement.

UNE offers strong support for LGBTQ students.

“UNE has a very diverse community. We want everyone to feel as though they belong here,” said Rousseau.

That support includes helping students who may have questions about gender identity, advocating for students experiencing discrimination based on real or perceived assumptions about sexual orientation, and increasing community awareness on a variety of topics relevant to LGBTQ issues.

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions