Pride Resource Center

History

Celebrating 25 Years of Pride | 1998 - 2023

This fall, we celebrated 25 Years of the Pride Resource Center. Above, you’ll see a video, Rooted in Abundance, highlighting our history, elgacy and impact. Keep reading below to learn about our beginning and how we have grown over these last 25 years.

In the Fall of

1997

Our center would not exist without the organizing of those who came before us- the Fort Collins Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Alliance, the Student Organization for Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals (SOGLB), and others who gathered in residence halls, apartments, and bars with no support from the CSU or local community. For years, many people repeatedly raised the need for an office such as ours. In the fall of 1997, the Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU) and the Student Organization for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals (SOGLB) propose that a university department that addressed the needs of GLBT students be created. The Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, working closely with these students and through support of private donors and foundations, established the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Student Services at Colorado State University that same year. Due to the Spring Creek Flood of 1997, most of our history of programs leading up to the creation of our center has been lost. However, through alumni stories we know that many of the programs established by previous organizations, such as the Speakers Bureau (now Visible Voices), Community Ally Dinner (1980s), LGBTQ+ History Month, and more were continued as we grew into GLBT Student Services.

In the Fall of

1998

The GLBT Student Services officially opened August 1, 1998 without a physical office. The first director, Lisa Phelps, shared a position with Residence Life and the GLBT Student Services office. It was not until November 1998 that the office gained a physical location in the basement of the Lory Student Center. The murder of Matthew Shepard in October of 1998 hit close to home, as Matthew, a gay college student at the University of Wyoming, passed away in the Fort Collins Poudre Valley hospital and had many connections in town and with students at CSU. This tragedy, which was unfortunately amplified by additional bias incidents on CSU’s campus and around the nation, reaffirmed and demonstrated the significant need for a space of safety, healing, and belonging for our LGBTQ+ community. While the timing was coincidental, it was clear that this office was necessary for the CSU community. The campus community rallied behind the initiative, proud to support one of few LGBTQ+ centers at a university in the country at the time.

In the Early

2000s

The early 2000s brought huge growth for the center. Randy McCrillis became the center’s second director (and first full-time director) from 2001-2007. In 2002, the office moved to a larger space across the hall and again to Room 176 of the LSC during the fall of 2003, located on the main level of the Lory Student Center. The increased visibility of the office led to a 175% increase in contacts over a period of one year. 2002 marked the creation of many of Pride’s signature programs, including our fall retreat, Lavender Graduation, and Safe Zone. Additionally in the fall of 2002, GLBT Student Services joined the CSU Group Advocacy Offices, which later formed into Student Diversity Programs and Services. This group consisted of Black Student Services, El Centro Student Services (both established in 1976-77), Native American Student Services (1979), the Office of Women’s Programs (1974), Resources for Disabled Students (1977), and Asian/Pacific American Student Services (1984). Foula Dimopoulas became the center’s third director in 2006, overseeing new initiatives such as revamping the speakers bureau into Visible Voices and the addition of the Bohnett Foundation Cyber Center.

In the Early

2010s

During the summer of 2013, President Tony Frank and Vice President for Diversity Mary Ontiveros approved the former name of the center: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, & Ally (GLBTQ2A) Resource Center. From fall of 2013 to the fall of 2014, our office had been located in the LSC west near the Recreation Center of CSU. With the renovation of the LSC, our office acquired its current location in room 232 on the main floor of the student center. In August 2014, Aaric Guerriero was hired as the fourth director of the Center. In October of 2015, the office gained its first assistant director, Emily Ambrose. The 2010s also saw the addition of LGBTQ+ inclusive initiatives on campus, such as the first All Gender Restroom in 2010, updates to the Non-Discrimination Policy in 2013, and the creation of Transgender Health Care in 2013.

In the Late

2010s

In the summer of 2016, after an extensive investigation of national trends of center names and input from key constituent groups, the center changed its name again: the Pride Resource Center. In the fall of 2017, Dora Frias became the fifth director and celebrated Pride’s 20th Anniversary in 2018. In the spring of 2019, Maggie Hendrickson was hired as the second assistant director, and Pride was gifted with funds to establish the Leah Memorial Fund, an emergency fund to support LGBTQIA+ students. In 2020, Pride received additional state-funding to support the center’s ability to address the mental health concerns of the LGBTQIA+ community made apparent in the National College Health Assessment data. Due to this funding increase, Pride was able to hire Pedro Ramos as the center’s first Program Coordinator. For the first time in our history, the center was able to have three full-time professional staff.

In the Early

2020s

With a growing staff and shifting priorities in 2020, the center changed its mission, vision, and values to better reflect our commitment to supporting the thriving and retention of LGBTQIA+ students at CSU. With this shift in mission and the addition of professional staff, the center grew its offerings. That year saw the creation of our first mentoring program for LGBTQIA+ students (Rams in Q’mmunity), a New Student Seminar hosted through the Pride center, the Lavender Cabinet (free gender affirming garments and other resources), and more. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020, the Pride center closed and moved all programs and services to virtual through the spring of 2021. Dr. Ashley Grice was hired in Spring of 2021 as Pride’s sixth director, shortly followed by Pride’s second Program Coordinator, Soleil Gonzalez. During the summer of 2021, the Pride Resource Center and our fellow cultural and resource centers of Student Diversity Programs and Services were reorganized out of the Division of Student Affairs and into the Office of Inclusive Excellence (formerly the Vice President for Diversity). In 2022, Maggie Hendrickson transitioned into the Director role, and Josh Mack was hired as the center’s third Assistant Director. August 1, 2023 marks Pride’s 25th Anniversary, which we plan to celebrate with our campus community in the fall.  

20th Anniversary graphic

This image was created for our 20th Anniversary to capture our verbal history over the last 20 years, intertwined with national and state level change. It can be found hanging in the Pride Resource Center.