New Mexico State University’s LGBT+ Programs is hosting Pride Season 2024. Scott Brocato spoke with Dr. Sophia Sangwanthong, director of LGBT+ Programs at NMSU, about upcoming events and why the annual Pride Season is so important.
SCOTT BROCATO:
Before we get into the specific events, can you talk about why you feel that Pride Season is important, and particularly this one?
DR. SOPHIA SANGWANTHONG:
Pride Season is very important. This is a representation of our diverse students, faculty, and staff. LGBT+ people represent every race, religion, every economic background, every gender, every sexuality, every college, every major at NMSU. So having events and programming that represents our diverse community is the reason for Pride Season. It's the reason that I created Pride Season, and we needed to have events throughout this spring semester to reflect not only on those identities, but on student and community needs on the state of things.
And you mentioned why right now. Well, politically, it is a very trying time. There are bills and opposition to being LGBT+ popping up all over the place. Thankfully not in New Mexico, which is an excellent place to live for LGBTQ+ people. But many of our students are not from New Mexico, so those politics do directly touch them, and they touch all of us in terms of representation and stress and possibilities. Reversals of rights may be returning to times where being LGBT+ is not OK, so it's an important time to have visibility, to have programming, and to speak to where we are currently, what our needs are, and who we are as people.
SCOTT BROCATO:
Well, let's talk about the events. Coming up on March 26, LGBT+ Programs will team up with NMSU's Asian and Pacific Islander program to host the Justice and Revolutionary Thought Conference.
DR. SOPHIA SANGWANTHONG:
So this is a conference that I have put together on behalf of both the programs you just mentioned, along with Dr. Rio Lopez of Chicanx programs. So it's going to be a very large conference. So we've got a lot of representation in terms of what we're going to talk about in terms of issues of social justice, in terms of issues of intersectionality and the multiple identities that we have; again, talking about being people with gender sexualities, religions, races, right? So we're going to be covering the diversity of our identities and the complications of intersecting oppressions and challenges--politically, socially, culturally as well. So you're going to see scholars talking a variety of topics related to social justice.
So we're very excited about that, because it also creates a lot of opportunities for scholars and student scholars at NMSU, some of whom we've been working with and some of whom who have made submissions. So we're very excited about just the depth. This is going to be an all-day conference beginning at 2:00 PM that won't finish until into the night. So we've got, again, a broad diversity of thoughts and of identities of speakers that day. So we're very excited.
SCOTT BROCATO:
The next day is a panel discussion: the LGBTQ+ Programs will host a panel discussion to commemorate the Transgender Day of Visibility. Talk about that and who will be part of that panel.
DR. SOPHIA SANGWANTHONG:
Yes. So the panel will consist of students, faculty and staff. We have done this annually now. It's also going to start with some research for myself and my coordinator, Lore Falls, about IRB-approved research we've done in the experiences of transgender people in regards to healthcare, in regards to education, in regards to experiences with religion. So we're going to present a lot of findings about barriers, perceived barriers, difficulties, challenges that our transgender students face. So we're going to be providing solutions and strategies, and we're going to be then hearing from this panel of students, faculty and staff about their experiences as trans people. And trans people are among the most marginalized people in the US, in the world, and at NMSU. So having this specific event to again see the visibility, see the diversity of our community, hear about needs, hear about successes--you know, just to have voice for our unique identity and experiences is really important.
SCOTT BROCATO:
And finally, the final event will be the annual Pride Season Drag Show April 16th.
DR. SOPHIA SANGWANTHONG:
The drag show has just grown yearly in size and importance. And you know, we usually see about 500 people show up to enjoy this. What's really exciting is that, you know, we've always had national talent. We've always had local and regional talent. But over the past couple of years, we've seen a very large growth in student performers. So we had about a dozen student performers at our show in October, and we expect at least that many or more at this show. So we have students expressing themselves, and often this is their first opportunity to perform, to express that side of themselves and their artistic vision. So that's been really great to see this become a platform for students,to express their creativity.
SCOTT BROCATO:
Dr. Sangwanthong, thank you for talking about Pride Season 2024 with KRWG Public Media.
DR. SOPHIA SANGWANTHONG:
Thank you so much.
