Event List: Oxford Pride Celebrates Fourth Year this Week

The Oxford High School Gay-Straight Alliance joined with other LOU organizations in the 2018 Oxford Pride Parade. Photo by Talbert Toole.

Over the past five years, individuals and organizations on campus and in Oxford have worked hard to build momentum and organized affirming and fun events for LGBTQ members of the LOU community.

The annual Oxford Pride parade regularly includes more than 100 participants and draws a crowd of more than 1000 people to celebrate LGBTQ Mississippians and their importance in our community.

Oxford Pride 2019
April 28 – May 5, 2019

Thursday, May 2

Oxford Film Fest Pride Screening: Stonewall Uprising
Thursday, May 2, 2019 — 6:00 PM 8:00 PM — Lamar Hall at The University of Mississippi
Stonewall Uprising: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED AMERICA
SPONSORED BY OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL, OUTOXFORD, AND SARAH ISOM CENTER FOR WOMEN & GENDER STUDIES.

About the film: When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City on June 28, 1969, the street erupted into violent protests that lasted for the next six days. The Stonewall riots, as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world.

A discussion will be held after the film.

Code Pink: Pride Edition
Thursday, May 2 — 9 PM – 1 AM — Proud Larry’s

Code Pink Dance Parties are one of the most highly anticipated events on the Square during any given month of the year. These queer parties typically fill up quickly and feature dance music as well as performances from locals and students.

This Code Pink’s Theme is “Party Like It’s 1969!”

OutOxford invites you to celebrate 50 years of Pride with dancing, DJs, Drag Queen Shows, and more!

Come to dance, meet, and bond with your community in this safe space. This is an LGBTQ+friendly and protected event. All over 18 are welcome! The Cover is $10, BUT the first 100 guests will only pay $7! Get there early, my friends! We can’t wait to see you at Oxford’s 2019 LGBTQ Pride kick-off event!

Friday, May 3

4th Annual Lavender Graduation Ceremony
Friday, May 3, 2019 — 4:00 PM 5:30 PM — Ole Miss Student Union Ballroom

Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes the achievements and contributions of LGBTQ+ students who have successfully navigated the college experience.

Saturday, May 5
Oxford Pride Parade
Saturday, May 4, 2019 — 1pm line-up, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM —Oxford-University Depot

The Oxford Pride parade will begin and end at the University Depot parking lot. Parade participants will meet at 12:30 pm, and the parade will start at 2 pm. The parade will take Presidential Debate Way to University Avenue, then up to Lamar Blvd, around the Courthouse Square, and back to the Depot. All are welcome to march in the parade or line the route in support!

Current Registered Marchers Include: OUTGrads, Blue Suede Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Oxford, Lafayette Dems, Lambda, Lambda Car Club, Oxford Film Festival, Dykes On Bikes, The University of Mississippi Psychological Services Center, Human Rights Campaign and First Regional Library staff.

Saturday Night Drag!
Saturday, May 4, 2019 — 7:30 PM – 1am — The Lyric Oxford

Experience the 5 Decades Since Stonewall Through Drag! Featured Drag Queens include Tupelo’s own GoDiva Holliday, as well as other queens Luna Luella, Freak Nasty, Anastasia Love, and Aubrey Ombre. Drag Queen Photos are available in the shared folder.

Students must visit the Lyric in person with their ID to get the special student rate. The Lyric box office is open noon – 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

Sunday, May 6

Out In The Park: A Softball Game & Family Picnic at Avent Park
Sunday, May 5, 2019 — 11:00 AM 3:00 PM—Avent Park

Join this community gathering for a softball game, cookout, and other kids activities as we join together for a send off to the weekend. This event is a great opportunity to fellowship with other community members and enjoy the outdoors in one of Oxford’s beautiful public parks.

The Bluff City Sports Association, Memphis’s Gay Sports League, will be sending down the Cotton Row Uniques to play a softball double-header against Oxford’s own Isom J-Hawks! Come cheer on the J-Hawks and watch some softball.

Burgers, hot dogs, drinks, and watermelon will be provided free of charge. Other refreshments from area vendors will be available for purchase. Arts teacher Todd Shaffer will be leading an arts camp for kids. Shaffer is a ten-year veteran director of the Modern Primitive Art Gallery in Atlanta, GA, one of the nation’s leading galleries for outsider art in the south. Todd was responsible for gallery operations as well as corporate sales to the House of Blues Collection, the largest public art collection. He recently took a position as the Arts in Education specialist with Young Audiences of Louisiana. Bring the kids down to the park to make signs, masks, and other crafts.

This community event is free and fun.

Contacts:

Hooper Schultz — Graduate Assistant at the Isom Center for Women’s and Gender Studies and OUTGrads Secretary — dhschult@go.olemiss.edu
Jaime Harker — Professor of English and Director of the Isom Center for Women’s and Gender Studies — jlharker@olemiss.edu
Theresa Starkey — Associate Professor in Gender Studies and Associate Director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women’s and Gender Studies — tastarke@olemiss.edu
Kevin Cozart — Operations Coordinator at the Sarah Isom Center for Women’s and Gender Studies — kcozart@olemiss.edu
Sarah Heying — President of OUTGrads graduate student LGBTQ+ group — smheying@go.olemiss.edu
Brenna Paola — President of UM Pride Network, undergraduate student LGBTQ+ group — bpaola@go.olemiss.edu
Cadence Pentheny — Coordinator for LGBTQ+ Programming and Initiatives with the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement — cadence@olemiss.edu

Staff report