June serves as LGBTQ Pride Month. To celebrate, Rice University and many campus affiliates will host events to spread awareness about the LGBTQIA+ community and educate on sexual and gender diversity.
June 8, 5-7 p.m. — Pride Happy Hour, Moody Center for the Arts
The evening will include a cappella renditions of pop favorites by Pride Chorus Houston and tunes from DJ Krazzy Kris. Guests will also have full access to the JooYoung Choi exhibition “Love and Wondervision.” Registration is free.
June 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – T-Shirt Tie-Dye, Baker/Lovett Quad
Members and friends of Rice’s student, alumni and employee LGBTQIA+ groups are invited to tie-dye the rainbow T-shirts to be worn by the university’s walking group in the 2023 Houston Pride Parade. Participation is free, and refreshments will be provided. RSVP by June 9 to ruevents@rice.edu and note any dietary restrictions. This event is sponsored by Rice Public Affairs and Rice Employee Pride.
June 14 and 28, 7-10 p.m. – Queer Beers, Valhalla
Hosted by the Queer Graduate Student Association, Queer Beers provides a fellowship opportunity for Rice’s graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who identify as transgender, lesbian, bisexual, gay, pansexual, asexual, gender-nonconforming, gender variant, intersex, queer, questioning, allies, or as any other gender or sexual minority or variant. Queer Beers is a biweekly event occurring throughout the year.
June 20, 6-8 p.m. – Rice Alumni Pride Dumpling-Making, Eureka Heights Brewing Co.
Enjoy a dumpling-making class with Dumpling Dudez and drinks from Eureka Heights, 941 W. 18th St., while connecting with fellow alumni and learning more about the Rice Alumni Pride affinity group. Registration is $20 and the deadline is June 15.
June 23, 5-9 p.m. - Pride Picnic, Grad Commons
The Queer Graduate Student Association will welcome the Rice community for a gathering that will include free food and drinks, music by HyperPOP Palace and drag performances.
June 24 – Houston Pride Parade
Rice will sponsor a walking group in the 45th annual parade. The parade route will start downtown near City Hall, 901 Bagby St. All Rice students, alumni, employees and their families and friends are invited to participate in the parade and in a pre-parade picnic sponsored by Rice Alumni Pride. Registration is free, but space is limited.
In addition to these organizations and events, Rice offers additional resources to the LGBTQIA+ community, including the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, oSTEM, Rice Business Out & Allied, and Rice Pride.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month is celebrated each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York, which is often regarded as the tipping point for LGBTQ equality in the United States.
Rice and Houston hold a place in LGBTQ history together. In 2009 the city became the most populous in the U.S. to elect an openly gay mayor when it voted Annise Parker ’78 into office.