Steven Girardot, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

To me, pride means family. 

When I arrived as a first-year student at Georgia Tech in 1992, the world was a very different place.  I grew up 15 minutes away from here, in a suburb of Atlanta, yet I had never met or even spoken to a single LGBTQIA person (that I knew of) by the time I started college.  At that time, it would have also been illegal for me to serve openly in the armed forces; illegal for me to marry; and illegal for me to adopt children. I don’t even think I can recall a single mainstream TV show or movie that featured a gay character—there was no “Modern Family,” “Queer Eye,” or “Love, Simon” or “Will & Grace.”  This was my world growing up.

As I struggled with my identify and self-acceptance, I was convinced that I would never get married or have children- two things I always wanted in life. However, that started to change when I had the courage to meet other LGBTQIA students here. I then met my current husband, Felipe, as I was graduating from Tech (and he was graduating the same year from Clemson University). Felipe and I have now been together for over 24 years, and in 2015, we were officially and legally married. In December 2016, our lives were changed forever when our daughter, Chrissy, was born.  I could not be prouder about my family and to be a dad.

I reflect often that I would not have these things in my life if it were not for the many LGBTQIA people before me who had the courage to be authentic and to visibly show their “pride” in their identity.  I honor and celebrate these “family” for what they have done to transform my life and our world.

Kenji Terawaki, Office of the Vice Provost

PRIDE

Phycological and physical aggression
Removed from society
Isolated
Denied rights
Exhausted of pretending

Yes, I am PRIDE that I overcome all those experiences, that TODAY I feel free and comfortable with who I am, who I love, and who I become.

I celebrate by screaming …’ RESPECT, ACCEPTANCE, AND LOVE’. My pronoun is HUMAN; my contribution is to deliver the best of me to the world, and my responsibility is to pass my experience to the new generations. I am honored the be part of the OUE Equity Collective and S.W.A.R.M. helping Georgia Tech community to develop a welcoming, safe space for everyone and to reject any form of discrimination.

Perfection is a dream; affirmation of a dream is an illusion, but being part of a diverse society is a reality… let’s share this world.

Happy PRIDE!

Kari White, Academic Engagement Programs

For me, Pride is about being my full self no matter where I am or who I am with, and while I hope I do that all year long, Pride Month is an opportunity to highlight one part of me for a short time. I appreciate the opportunities to celebrate Pride with my colleagues on campus during Pride Month. I hope that my participation and involvement can be encouragement for those who may not be comfortable bringing their full selves to work, yet.

Of course, I also enjoy the comradery I feel when I spend time with folks who share in some or all of my identities, and Pride Month gives me opportunities to engage with more of the LGTBQIA community than ever. It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday stuff, so I love that there is a specific time set aside for a collective effort to recognize and celebrate Pride.

My wife and I consider ourselves to be your basic old married couple, but we do take the time during Pride Month to recognize and hopefully honor in some way, all the folks who have fought to make it possible for us to live “out,” and Pride Month is our reminder to contribute to groups and organizations that are still fighting for that same privilege.