In previous years, each specific organization planned and hosted its own events. For the first time, all of the organizations and groups joined forces to collaborated and plan events together.

Groups either paired up to host events or the Coalition of LGBT Student Organizations as a whole collectively planned group events and aimed to make the month bigger and get the community more involved.

“I think that’s really just a testament of how we’ve grown as a community, because Coalition is a fairly new organization," women’s studies sophomore and the secretary of the Coalition Olivia Brenner said. "Before everyone was just separate and there wasn’t really any communication or collaborating happening.” 

The organizations have tried to increase awareness of these events and encourage those who don’t identify as queer to celebrate with them.

“I think it’s the time of the year that we’re most visible on campus because we have all of the posters," social relations and policy junior and co-chair of Coalition Caitlynn Upton said. "It’s kind of a time for all of us to get together and celebrate our identities and to demand to be recognized."

During LGBT Pride Month, the goal is to also educate those who aren’t queer about the LGBT community. Those who are ignorant of various LGBT issues can use this opportunity to learn and to form educated opinions, Brenner said. 

“The point of these events is to offer brave spaces and safe spaces for queer people to come and be themselves and celebrate themselves, but just because we’re celebrating what it means to be ourselves doesn’t mean that it’s closed off to anybody who isn’t like us because we aren’t even like each other, we’re all different,” mathematics freshman Christian Perry said.

Members said they encourage attending a group meeting for anyone who has a bit of interest.

“I would just go for it honestly, because you could be super socially awkward and in a year, still be socially awkward, but over that year meet 100 people who you would’ve never met who are OK with you being socially awkward and are now your best friends,” Perry said.

Along with meeting and learning from new people, Brenner said being a part of these organizations helped her learn about issues that don’t directly affect her. She was able to better her ability to listen to others and consider differing opinions.

The last event that Coalition is collectively hosting is Pride Prom on April 22. Because many people in the queer community didn’t have a positive prom experience — because they wanted to wear a dress and couldn’t, or couldn’t take the date they wanted — this is their second chance, Upton said.