June Pride Month

June 16, 2022

Dear Berkeley City College Community –

June is Pride Month, a time for recognition and honoring of the LGBTQIA+ individuals in our community and around the world. Pride is a time for celebration, marked by parades, festivals, and artistic expression. It’s also a time for remembrance of the constant civil rights battle fought by the LBGTQIA+ community since its inception after the Stonewall Riots in 1969.  

I am proud to say that BCC is an ally in this fight for liberation, inclusion, and equality, and is committed to protecting the fundamental equal rights sought by LGBTQIA+ people. This year we have seen politicians and lawmakers ramp up discriminatory bills across the country that seek to further disenfranchise the community by undermining protections for LGBTQIA+ children and young adults. These bills, numbering over 240 this year, are aimed at restricting discussions about sexual orientation by banning books and censoring speech, barring transgender and nonbinary athletes from participating in sports, and attacking teachers for educating students about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. BCC denounces these attacks and is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, classified professionals, and administrators that make up our community.   

It is a reminder that we must be vigilant in our support of the LGBTQIA+ community not just during Pride month, but every day of the year. BCC and the Peralta Colleges have a robust Non-Discrimination policy, ensuring that our students, faculty, and staff will be given equal opportunities in our educational programs, employment, and access to services. This policy is core to BCC’s value of commitment to multiculturalism and diversity, and our mission to promote student success and transform lives. It is within our community of inclusivity that we welcome the intersectionalities that we all bring. As a queer woman of color, I am fully aware that I am able to live move freely in these identities because of those who fought and paved the way before me. I am grateful to each of you for helping to create a safe space for LGTBQIA+ community members to thrive.