Here at CSULB, in lieu of June’s Pride month celebrations taking place during summer vacation, we honor the LGBTQ+ community during October.
“OUTober” celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and aims to educate others about the many achievements as well as the difficulties and adversities faced within the community.
As an LGBTQ+ individual, attending CSULB and spending time in the general Long Beach area has been so healing for me because of the constant support and representation. In this city, rainbow flags are flown and LGBTQ+ lovers walk hand-in-hand without fear. The same can be said for the campus. As a queer person, I feel safe here.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a universal experience and LGBTQ+ people face trials everyday. Injustice towards this community is all too familiar, we all feel it and we feel for other members of the community that suffer as a result. With nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills circulating this year in the United States, we feel it.
At CSULB, a variety of events are held during the month of October in order to highlight and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. I’m grateful to live in a city that welcomes and embraces my community. From Pride parades, to informative workshops, to LGBTQ+ representatives and visible Pride symbols, Long Beach has made great strides for the LGBTQ+ community.
It is my hope that Long Beach and CSULB both continue to improve in representation and support towards this community, there’s always more work to be done.
In this special “OUTober” issue of the Daily Forty-Niner, our goal is to continue educating students and staff at CSULB and beyond about LGBTQ+ rights. This issue consists of news pieces about on-campus LGBTQ+ resources, a breakdown of homophobic and transphobic legislation, features on LGBTQ+ artists, multiple personal essays and more, all aimed towards uplifting this community in our storytelling while keeping our audience informed.
I am of the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to love and be loved if they so choose. Love should be embraced, not oppressed. Love unapologetically, I know I will.
At the Daily Forty-Niner, we will continue to uplift and highlight the LGBTQ+ community throughout the year. Our coverage will continue to be inclusive and uplift student voices and experiences, including those of other underrepresented communities.
Please enjoy our OUTober special edition! Students interested in pitching a story about LGBTQ+ representation can email me directly at [email protected] and we can further discuss these ideas. Your ideas are welcome.
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