GLBT Center rebrands to LGBTQ Pride Center, celebrates 15 years

Kate Denning Correspondent

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, The GLBT Center celebrated its 15-year anniversary on campus and announced its new name, the LGBTQ Pride Center. The name was revealed at Our Journey Forward, an event honoring the accomplishments of those involved in the creation and the furthering of the center and its mission.

Chancellor Randy Woodson and Provost Warwick Arden announced the center’s new name in a video presented to the attendees, to which the crowd responded with cheering and applause.

“This milestone, marking the center’s 15th year, is a great opportunity to pause and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community,” Arden said. “As we look to the future, our campus will continue to be a dedicated center that embodies inclusion and pride, community and belongingness.”

Dr. Bill Swallow, an emeritus statistics professor and an advocate for the creation of the center, said his involvement in the movement was met with far less support from the student body when the movement began in 2006.

Swallow said once word got around that faculty members such as himself were draft-