The Sacramento State PRIDE Center is preparing for Pride Week, a series of educational and cultural events intended to celebrate and inform students about the LGBT community.
Pride Week kicks off on April 7 with an evening of spoken word with Los Angeles poet and transgender activist Jade Phoenix Martinez in the University Union Ballroom at 7:30 p.m.
Two highlights of Pride Week are the Queer Picnic on April 11 at noon on the lawn north of the Library Quad and the Makeup Demo Workshop the following day at 1:30 p.m. in the University Union’s Orchard Suite.
The Queer Picnic, which began last year, was inspired by similar events in the history of the LGBT rights movement, according to PRIDE Center Coordinator Chris Kent.
“That comes from the San Francisco Pride Festival — a big part of it is a picnic at Dolores Park,” Kent said. “It started last year and some of us were like, ‘this is the first time we’ve eaten out here. It’s really pretty.’ ”
Kent said that students are invited to bring their own blankets and food to the picnic, which is meant to be a place “for folks to have fun and be themselves in (a) public space” and will be accompanied by a fair featuring campus and off-campus organizations that want to provide support or resources to LGBT students.
“It’s essentially a resource fair in the most important aspect,” said Kiana Medina, a student program assistant with the PRIDE Center. “It takes what we think everyone knows — as an activist — and lets the rest of the community know. So Full Circle Project will be there (as well as) Gender Health Center, and then we’ll eat together.”
The Full Circle Project is a campus organization aimed at improving graduation and retention rates among Asian-American students. The Gender Health Center is a non-profit located in midtown Sacramento that provides health-related services to LGBT people, particularly gender nonconforming and transgender individuals.
The Makeup Demo Workshop will be a new addition to Pride Week. Its focus is on educating people who want to use makeup but may not have had the opportunity in the past.
“Maybe they don’t feel comfortable buying it or they don’t have the means, so I think it’s important to provide an open space,” Medina said. “This isn’t about gender; makeup is an art form. Anyone can wear makeup.”
Kent said that transgender people often have the most difficulty learning how to do makeup because of societal stigmas.
“A few folks have mentioned that some of us were not able to practice makeup (or) play with makeup. Many (trans women) weren’t allowed to do it,” Kent said. “In some ways, it’s incredibly liberating. It’s very affirming to put on makeup and play with it. ”
Yozantli Lagunas Guerrero, a student program assistant, is going to help interested people apply makeup.
“We’re teaching folks eyeshadow, eyebrows, contouring and lips. I’m probably going to help out with the eyeshadow part because that’s more my area of expertise, what little I have,” Lagunas Guerrero said. “We’re seeing if any folks in the community or anyone would like to donate some makeup, like any samples or anything of that sort.”
Kent said that all the makeup used will be ensured to have been “humanely produced,” and Lagunas Guerrero said that the PRIDE Center is looking for a model so that people can watch and learn.
“Everyone can wear makeup regardless of your gender identity (or) your expression,” they said.
Pride Week ends on April 14.
Other Pride Week events:
Thursday, April 6 — An evening of spoken word with Los Angeles-based transgender activist Jade Phoenix Martinez at 7:30 p.m. in the University Union Ballroom.
Saturday, April 8 — The second annual Asian Pacific Islander/Queer Conference will focus on the intersection between the LGBT and Asian Pacific Islander experiences all day in the University Union.
Monday, April 10 — ‘Rediscovering Pride’ is a talk that will focus on the intersection between gay pride, normativity and nationalism at 1:30 p.m. in the Pride Center.
Thursday, April 13 — ‘Where’s my orgasm?’ is a talk by Dr. Patty Woodward about the science behind orgasms at 1:30 p.m. in the University Union’s Orchard Suite.
Thursday, April 13 — Chat on polyamory with a particular emphasis on comparison and jealousy at 3:30 p.m. in the Pride Center.
Friday, April 14 — Double feature of the films “They/Them” and “Mi Familia 2” in the University Union’s Forest Suite.
