Dear UMB Community, 

June is Pride Month, a time to honor and celebrate the life, achievements, and identities of our LGBTQIA+ community. 

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) honors trailblazers, innovators, and leaders who have inspired us with their examples of perseverance, courage, and brilliance. People like Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, who was born in Baltimore and was a lawyer, a feminist, civil rights activist, priest, and poet. Murray founded the Congress of Racial Equality with Bayard Rustin in the early 1940s and influenced, among others, a young Martin Luther King Jr. and the National Organization for Women (NOW) as well as late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Bayard Rustin, a human rights activist and close advisor to Dr. King, was one of the main organizers of the 1963 March on Washington. He helped to create the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was an advocate for gay rights and AIDS education. In 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously honored Rustin with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the American Civil Liberty Union’s LGBT & HIV Project, was counsel in one of the cases that led to the Supreme Court ruling that LGBTQ+ people would be protected in the workplace and public spaces by federal anti-discrimination laws. Strangio is a lifelong champion and advocate for LGBTQ+ people. 

 As we observe Pride Month, we also recognize that members of the LGBTQIA+ community still lack protections for fundamental rights and continue to experience threats, homophobia, and acts of violence in our society. We acknowledge that today, trans women of color continue to experience violent and deadly attacks that exist against a backdrop of a rise in anti-trans legislation in states across the country.

 We at UMB affirm our commitment of support in the struggle for dignity and justice, as we live our core values of Respect and Integrity and celebrate our colleagues and friends in this community. UMB is pleased to support and celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community with educational and community programming and events during June as listed below. 

 In partnership and collaboration,

 Diane Forbes Berthoud, PhD, MA
Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer and Vice President, UMB
Professor, Graduate School

PRIDE MONTH EVENTS

‘The Table’ Dialogue: Pinkwashing and Its Impact on the LGBTQ+ Community

June 12 | Noon-1 p.m. | Zoom | Register here for June 12

Pinkwashing is a practice that public and private organizations use to demonstrate their commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. While some believe that it increases representation and acceptance of this community, others argue that it profits off of Pride and does little to change the social inequities that LGBTQ+ people experience. Join the Intercultural Center to discuss the impact of pinkwashing on the LGBTQ+ community. 

Beyond the Binary: Expanding Our Understanding of LGBTQ+ Healthcare

June 12 | 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m. | M&T Bank Exchange | Register here for June 12

Join the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, for this forum, which includes a luncheon, workshops, and afterparty. The event is open to all UMB, University of Maryland Medical System, and Johns Hopkins University colleagues, as well as special guests and Baltimore community members. Registration is limited to 150 attendees.

Pride and Juneteenth Social Hour

June 18 | Noon-1 p.m. | School of Nursing Lobby

Join the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for a social hour celebrating Pride Month and Juneteenth. We encourage you to come wearing your most vibrant colors!