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Campus, community celebrate Pride Month

June 1, 2022 By Nate Moll
A display of Terrace chairs in the colors of pride month.

Pride Month celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts. They attract millions of participants around the world. Photo illustration by Nate Moll

In June 1969, the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan led by queer and trans people against police harassment was a catalyst for the Gay Rights Movement in the United States.

Today Pride Month has grown and evolved to become a time for celebration, education, visibility and liberation for the spectrum of people who make up the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout June, the campus and the Madison community have a series of events to celebrate the self-affirmation, dignity, equality and visibility of the diverse group of people who make up the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender-nonconforming, queer-plus community. 

Below you can find a listing of campus events and resources. (Note: Off-campus and community events are unaffiliated with UW–Madison, but are listed as a courtesy.)

Celebrate Pride Month on campus: 

  • Come enjoy the Pride Fest Show from 7 to 9 p.m. June 17. The free, live, music event will take place at Memorial Union Terrace.
  • Join the Pride Picnic on the Hill on from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Thursday, June 23. Join the Gender & Sexuality Campus Center for a community gathering on Bascom Hill, the site of the 1990 ROTC protests. BYOBlanket. Everyone welcome. RSVP for accommodations and by Monday, June 20 for provided lunch at go.wisc.edu/PridePicnic.
  •  The Pride Month Watch Party will feature LGBTQ+ series and movies on Fridays, June 3, 10, 17 and 24. Each watch party will begin at 1 p.m. and will be screened with captions.
  • Find community through the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC). And, if you need support, connect with a peer mentor or professional staff in the GSCC office in the Red Gym, or make an appointment Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Look out for GSCC watch parties during June. Each LGBTQ+ focused series or movie will begin at 1 p.m. Heartstopper: Fridays (6/3, 10, 17, 24); Noah’s Arc: Wednesdays and Thursdays (6/8-6/22); Saving Face: Wednesday 6/29; The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love: Thursday 6/30
  • Take in the Pride flags flying at Memorial Union, Union South, and the Wisconsin State Capitol. And visit Recreation and Wellbeing at night to see rainbow lights shine up the track. More details to come. 
  • Pronouns matter. And so do Names. Learn how to choose Pronouns in Use on Canvas, along with your Name in Use in the MyUW application, and why it matters. We want to honor and use the pronouns and names our community members use.
  • Join University Health Services (UHS) virtual LGBTQIA+ Let’s Talk group sessions for easy access to informal and confidential support every Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. Or attend group counseling support: Students who identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer, questioning, transgender, or any other personally meaningful term are all welcome to join the LGBTQ Support & Empowerment group that meets Fridays from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Students who identity as transgender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, and any other personally meaningful term can find community through the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Support and Empowerment Group that meets on Wednesdays from 1-2:30 p.m.
  • Download the Wisconsin Union’s Pride wallpapers for your phone and laptop. Get your Terrace Pride t-shirt and stickers! Or pick up a button at the Memorial Union Terrace while supplies last. 
  • Explore  GSCC’s helpful list of campus resources and trainings for building healthy relationships, acting in solidarity, and more.
  • Use your Wiscard to check out books and DVDs about LGBTQIA+ identity, life, and health from the UW–Madison Libraries.
  • Join student organizations working to support the LGBTQIA+ community on campus.

Community: 

  • June 2–4: PrideFest Milwaukee. One of the largest and longest-running LGBTQ+ festivals in the country, PrideFest Milwaukee returns to Henry Maier Festival Park this June 2 to 4 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s festival will feature music, comedy, children’s programming, a history exhibit, plus new stages and food vendor buildings, an expanded health and wellness area, and more.
  • June 4: Trek Pride Ride x Forward Madison FC. Trek and Forward Madison FC are encouraging fans and cyclists around the Madison Area to grab their bikes and ride together to celebrate love, diversity and the powerful history of the LGBTQ+ community with the nationwide Trek Pride Ride on June 4 at Breese Stevens Field.
  • June 4: Chip-In Fore the Community Golf Outing. The Outreach LGBTQ Community Center will host a golfing event at Door Creek Golf Course in an effort to fight LGBTQ homelessness in Madison.
  • June 5: Milwaukee Pride Parade. The Milwaukee Pride Parade returns on June 5th after a two-year hiatus. The 2022 theme, “Pride is…”, invites every attendee to fill in the blank with what pride means to them. The parade was founded in 2004 with the mission to provide a family-fun oriented celebration of LGBT Pride for the citizens of South East Wisconsin and Milwaukee.
  • June 11: Forward Madison FC Pride Night. Celebrate inclusivity in the Madison community on Saturday, June 11 during Pride Night at Breese Stevens Field and join the Flock as the Flamingos take on Greenville Triumph SC. 
  • June 15: Madison Queer Meditation Group. The Madison LGBTQ+ Meditation Group aspires to be a welcoming and inclusive space for all meditation practitioners and aspiring meditators who self-identify as LGBTQ+. Members of the group represent students from various Buddhist and non-Buddhist traditions that come together bimonthly to create a refuge of mutual respect and understanding.
  • June 17: Madison Mallards Pride Night. Join the LGBTQ+ community, friends, family and community to celebrate Pride Night on June 17 at the Duck Pond baseball stadium in Warner Park as the Madison Mallards face the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.
  • June 23: OPEN Annual Dinner. The Out Professional Engagement Network (OPEN) will host its 12th annual dinner at the Monona Terrace from 5 – 9 p.m. The 2022 theme, “Redefine Professional — Come as You Are” is focused on embracing individuality and empowering people from all career paths.
  • June 24: Live on Queen Street: Drag & Dance Block Part. Madison’s free, outdoor concert series, Live on King Street, is throwing a drag and dance block party on Friday, June 24.
  • June 24-26: CapitalQ Theatre Festival. A fresh, new spin on the perennial favorite, “Queer Shorts,” this festival will take over both stages at the Bartell Theatre. It will be a weekend filled with original short plays, staged readings of brand new works and one-act plays submitted from across the country. 
  • June 30-July 3: National Women’s Music Festival. The National Women’s Music Festival is a four-day musical and cultural extravaganza that incorporates all facets of women’s lives. It’s a jam-packed long weekend where choices for things to do range from workshops, concerts, comedy, theatre presentations, a marketplace, newly released films and videos, a live auction, spirituality series, writer’s series and more.
  • June 30: Punk Pride Night. Celebrate Punk Pride Night at Crucible Madison on Thursday, June 30 featuring multiple bands.
  • August 21: Magic Pride Festival. OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center is hosting its 4th annual Magic Pride Festival on Sunday, Aug. 21, at Warner Park. The festival will include a stage show with local LGBTQ+ performers, large vendor area, games and activities for youth and families, food and beverages, and more.

Social media: Badger Pride social media graphics are available for download.