U of A and the NWA Community Celebrate Pride Month 2022

Groups across Northwest Arkansas, including the University of Arkansas, are hosting and participating in events all June long to celebrate Pride Month, which highlights LGBTQIA+ voices, experiences and issues.

The 2022 festivities include Northwest Arkansas’ 18th Annual Pride Parade on June 18, as well as the Trans March, Pride Festival, Glitterville Party and more. Get all the details, pictures and event recaps on the Pride Northwest Arkansas website.

Fulbright College also partnered with the College of Engineering to present “The Long Struggle for LGBTQ+ Inclusion at Southern Universities” on June 20, featuring Michael Hevel, associate professor of higher education, and Charles Thompson, who recently completed his Ph.D. in higher education at the U of A.

Additionally, profiles on Arkansas News will spotlight members and allies of the LGBTQAI+ community, and social media accounts including the college’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, College of Arts and Sciences, Uark Facebook page and the University of Arkansas PRIDE Alumni Society will feature more highlights.

In one such highlight, Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, assistant professor of Italian and Italian section head, said “allyship is important and you can make a difference.”

“The LGBTQAI+ community is not only dynamic but also unique. Every person has an individual story which is worth listening to,” he added. “If you have a question about how someone would like to be addressed, i.e. name or pronoun, kindly ask. It is not considered rude and will be appreciated.”

In celebration of Pride Month, the University Libraries has also compiled a list of streaming movies and documentaries available to all students and U of A community members.

To learn more about the U of A’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, visit diversity.uark.edu.