Oct. 9, 2007 — Pride 2007 at the University of Utah will take place Oct. 15-20 and will explore the history, language and community behind lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) individuals throughout a week of performances, exhibits, discussions and films.

“LGBTQ individuals are often misunderstood and misrepresented simply as members of a sexual minority,” explains Cathy Martinez, director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center at the U. “Our theme this year, ‘Culture with a Q,’ focuses on the whole individual. We hope to embrace the word ‘queer’ and to define what it means to the LBGTQ community.”

Presented by the LGBT Resource Center, Pride 2007 activities are offered in collaboration with the University’s Offices for Diversity, Gender Studies, Housing and Residential Education, the U’s Women’s Resource Center, the Associated Students of the University of Utah’s (ASUU) Diversity Board, the Salt Lake Film Center, the I.J. Jeanne Wagner Jewish Community Center, the Utah AIDS Foundation and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Utah. Funding for these events has also been provided by the B.W. Bastian Foundation.

This year’s line-up of events boasts the Gay-la Dinner and Silent Auction, the LGBTee Off Golf Tournament and the Good Stuff Student Art Gallery, among many others. A complete list of events throughout the week is available at www.sa.utah.edu/lgbt.

Scholar, activist, and social/cultural critic Andrew Jolivétte will deliver the keynote address, “Culture with a Q,” followed by a book signing on Thursday, Oct. 18 at noon in the Marcia and John Price Utah Museum of Fine Arts auditorium, 410 Campus Center Drive.

As a Creole of Opelousa, Choctaw, Atakapa-Ishak, Cherokee, French, African and Spanish descent, Jolivétte embodies some of the questions of cross-racial identity construction that he addresses in his research. The author of two books, Cultural Representation in Native America and Louisiana Creoles: Cultural Recovery and Mixed Race Native American Identity Jolivétte currently teaches in the American Indian Studies Department as well as the Ethnic Studies Program at San Francisco State University.

“Jolivétte adds an expansive string of letters to the queer alphabet,” notes Gerda Saunders, associate professor and associate director of the U’s Gender Studies Program. “He is an expert in the areas where mixed-race issues in the Queer community, HIV/AIDS and privilege interact.”

In a 2005 keynote address for World AIDS Day, Jolivétte disclosed his own HIV/AIDS-positive status. More information on Jolivétte is available at http://www.speakoutnow.org/.

The Gay-la Dinner and Silent Auction will take place Thursday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. at the I. J. Jeanne Wagner Jewish Community Center. The fundraising dinner will feature performances by Troy Lennerd Nielson, classical guitarist and the Salt City Kings, Utah’s only performing Drag King group as well as a special address by Jolivétte.

All funds raised will go towards future programming of the LGBT Resource Center. Seats may be reserved individually for $65 or by the table (seats ten) for $650. Special student rates apply. Tickets may be reserved on-line at www.sa.utah.edu/lgbt or by calling 801-587-7973.

The LGBTee Off Golf Tournament will take place Saturday, Oct. 20 from 9-11 a.m. on the U’s 9-hole course. Entrance is $15 or $10 for students and all proceeds benefit the LGBT Resource Center. Call 801-587-7973 or email bowens@sa.utah.edu for more information.

“As a preeminent research and teaching institution, the U supports an educational environment that honors academic freedom, promotes diversity and equal opportunity and respects individual beliefs,” says University of Utah President Michael K. Young. “Pride at the U provides an opportunity for us to reflect on our commitment to that educational mission by bringing dialogue and information to our campus. We welcome the intellectual and cultural contributions this event brings to the U.”

All Pride 2007 events are open to the public. For more information visit www.sa.utah.edu/lgbt or call 801-587-7973.