With Chappell Roan blasting on the speakerphones and the Rose Room windows adorned with pride flags, the Archer community’s early celebration of Pride Month occurred May 17 in the courtyard. The event featured a table of rainbow decorations such as feather boas and fans, a bracelet making table and a station for community members to write responses to prompts about queer culture and identity.

The Gender Sexuality Alliance affinity group spent approximately one month planning this event, utilizing time at their bi-weekly meetings. According to GSA board member Bryce Collis (‘25), every year, they host a Coming Out Day celebration in the fall, but they do not typically have a pride celebration in the spring.

GSA board member Vivianne Arnold (’26) said they did not have this celebration in the past because the dates did not work with the end of the year schedule. Arnold said having GSA as a club at Archer is very important to many students on campus. She said she already knew she was queer before coming to Archer, but the caring community she found in GSA has been invaluable to her.

“I’ve never had such a space, where I could be myself and be around other people who were just so welcoming asupportive and just lovely people,” Arnold said. “It’s such a welcoming community.”

According to Arnold, in GSA meetings, members will talk, listen to music and sometimes play games. Hollyn Alpert (’28), who is a member of GSA, also said she thinks it is a supportive, accepting community.

“It’s a space where you can be authentically gay,” Alpert said.

Arnold said there is a stigma for queer kids, especially teenage girls, around embracing their LGBTQ+ identity. According to a CDC survey from 2021, 52% of LGBQ+ high school students reported “experiencing poor mental health during the past 30 days,” compared to 22% of heterosexual high schoolers who experienced poor mental health.

“I really hope the community gets involved with the event because allyship is such an important part of advocacy and supporting one another is really important. It’s one of the Archer values,” Arnold said. “I hope everyone feels like they can celebrate together.”

Alpert said hosting this type of celebration at Archer is important because it demonstrates to the LGTBQ+ community that Archer is a welcoming place.

“I think it’s important because it lets both the closeted and out queer people know that this is a safe space for them to express their identity in a way that makes them feel comfortable,” Alpert said.

Adella Travers (’27) attended the celebration and said it was lot of fun. She said she enjoyed getting to talk to people and had a good time overall. She also made a poster that wrote, “I love being queer because it allows me to live freely and authentically as myself.” 

Before the celebration, Arnold reflected on her goals for the event. She said she hoped the community would connect to celebrate pride together.

“A lot of times [being queer is] a negative thing that you’re persecuted or judged for, and we hope this will be a time for people to openly and publicly be able to be themselves,” Arnold said. “It’s wonderful to have GSA as a space, but it’s also wonderful to be able to [celebrate] in front of the whole community … and have people celebrate you.”