Northwest celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month with movie night, pride tie-dye, alumnus lecture

Sept. 30, 2022 | By Karissa Rickman, communication assistant

Northwest Missouri State University invites the community to join it in celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month, which includes a variety of activities hosted by the University.

“Everyone should get involved with the events coming to campus because they offer a diverse experience and allow people to better understand themselves and others,” Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Brittany Roberts said. “A lot of people worked hard to pave the way of inclusivity for this community. It is our duty to grow, educate ourselves, and continue paving the way further.”

Thomas Sanchez

The month’s activities begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Boardroom, where the Northwest community is invited to hear Thomas Sanchez share his experiences as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Sanchez has been credited as one of the “most innovative people in Washington, D.C.” and a top “minority business leader.” As chief executive officer and founder of Social Driver, he leads the digital agency that helps clients connect with people through social media, websites, video and digital advertising. Social Driver’s collaborative culture and cutting-edge strategies have been featured in media appearances on CBS and BBC as well as in The Washington Post.

His career began in the emerging healthcare informatics industry with Cerner Corporation, where he helped launch products and services throughout the world. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth, and he served on the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors from 2016 until his term ended last spring.

Northwest also will host a “Pride Tie-Dye” event from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which is located inside the Student Engagement Center on the second floor of the Student Union. The activity will give attendees an opportunity to learn the colors of LGBTQIA+ pride through tie-dyeing shirts. All supplies will be provided, and no registration is required.

The LGBTQIA+ History Month Movie Night is 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, in the Student Union Boardroom. The featured movie is “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything,” a 1995 comedy film about three New York City drag queens who embark on a road trip.

Additionally, a series of flags – which include the Pansexual Flag, Non-Binary Flag, Philadelphia’s People of Color Inclusive Flag, Genderfluid Flag and Genderqueer Flag – will be displayed at the west entrance of the Student Union throughout the month.

LGBTQIA+ History Month was established in 1994 to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. The month-long celebration takes place throughout October to commemorate the LGBTQIA+ rights marches on Washington in 1979 and 1987 and coincides with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.

For more information about LGBTQIA+ History Month activities at Northwest, contact Roberts at broberts@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1517.