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HokiePRIDE

 Organization

Historical Note

HokiePRIDE was originally founded in 1985 as Lambda Horizons (sometimes written as Lambda Horizon). In 1994, the group was renamed the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Alliance (LGBA). Then, in 1999, the name was changed again to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Alliance (LGBTA). In 2014 the name changed once more to the current name, HokiePRIDE.

HokiePRIDE was the second officially recognized LGBTQIA+ student group formed at Virginia Tech following the Gay Alliance of Virginia Tech (GAVT) in 1971. It also followed three unofficial groups: the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in 1970, the Gay Student Union (GSU) in 1975, and the Gay Student Alliance (GSA) in 1976.

The early goals of HokiePRIDE included providing a place on campus for gay and lesbian members of the university community to meet without judgement, helping educate the campus community about homosexuality, and creating a positive image of gay and lesbian people. Over time, the group’s mission expanded to include advocacy for everyone under the societally defined umbrella of LGBTQIA+, including bisexual, asexual, pansexual, transgender, and intersex people.

The group implemented multiple programs on campus to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ population including Gay Awareness Week, AIDS Awareness Week, National Coming Out Day, Freedom to Marry Day, Pride Week, advocacy for hate crimes legislation, and the organization of Safe Line, Safe Watch, the Safe Zone program, and more.

For more information on the current organization, see their website: http://www.hokiepride.org.vt.edu/

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

Flyer, HokiePride LGBT Resource Center grand opening, Blacksburg, VA, 08-29-2008 (RG 8/16)

 Digital Record
Identifier: RG08_16_LGBT_Resource_Center_Grand_Opening_Flyer_2008_08_29

Records of HokiePRIDE

 Record Group
Identifier: RG-31-14-15
Abstract

The records of HokiePRIDE records include materials from the HokiePRIDE student group including items from all of its named iterations: Lambda Horizions; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance; and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Alliance, including officer papers, office records, event planning information, resource pamphlets and directories, and copies of budgetary requests and accounting records.

Dates: 1971 - 2015; Majority of material found within 1995 - 2013