Celebrate Pride History

The Texas Rising Edinburg Chapter hosted its “First Pride was a Riot” event Thursday in the Cenizo Room on the Edinburg campus, bringing together 70 students and 15 volunteers to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and connect students with campus and community resources.

The event aimed to promote inclusivity and a safe space for students to express themselves, according to Devanee Guerra, a philosophy junior and campus organizer for the Texas Rising Edinburg chapter.

Participating organizations included the Intersectional Feminist Student Organization, Rio Grande Valley Youth Democratic Socialists of America, Talk About It: Campus Conversations and The National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Guerra said the event was inspired by the chapter’s desire to rebuild participation for the Queer Space Alliance, a group established about a year and a half ago to provide students with a supportive environment.

“We started to notice that we hadn’t had big events that focused on anything related to the LGBTQ community,” she said.

The event’s title was chosen to represent the historical origins of the Pride movement while offering students an educational and celebratory experience.

“It’s important to remember where we came from, what we did to get to this point, why we have the rights we do, why do I get to be openly proud of who I am ,” Guerra said. “It’s important to acknowledge that, that could be taken away at any moment.”

Angel Lira Rivera, a computer engineering sophomore, said his friends encouraged him to attend the event, where he learned about resources available to students.

One resource was a sexual education text message service provided by Talk About It.

“I think it’s nice to have representation for a group of people that are usually seen as … different or viewed negatively,” Rivera said.

He said he hopes the university and student organizations continue hosting events that create welcoming spaces for the LGBTQ+ community.

Valeria Chapa, a psychology sophomore, said the event gave her an opportunity to connect with others who share her experiences as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Chapa said some students may feel hesitant to openly express themselves, making events like these important for creating a comfortable environment for students.

“I guess a place to allow myself to  be, to not hide who I am and be able to express how I feel without having other people shame me,” she said.

Chapa said the sexual education resource stood to her because many people may feel uncomfortable asking questions about the topic.

She said that she hopes to see more events centered on the LGBTQ community where students can express themselves without fear of judgment.

“We can be able to uplift each other, and be able to give each other advice,” Chapa said.

Guerra said the positive feedback from the event demonstrated the importance of continuing to organize events centered on the LGBTQ+ community.

Texas Rising is considering hosting a queer prom next semester and plans to organize a Protect the Dolls event in November.

For more information on events hosted by Texas Rising, visit VLink.