Bentley Pride

Bentley’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion Brings Pride Month to Life  

Bentley’s drive to create an inclusive community is a yearlong commitment, but LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June is a special time for the university to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with special events on campus.   

“The importance of Pride Month comes from the word itself,” says Matt Banks, assistant director in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “LGBTQ+ identity is so often ridiculed or advocated against, so Pride Month is really about taking joy, love and pride in who you are and how you exist in the world. It’s being able to say, ‘This is who I am and I’m not going anywhere.’ ”  

Banks works closely with the LGBTQ+ Steering Committee to develop Pride Month programming. In 2020, as the country was reckoning with racial justice, the focus was on the ways that racial justice and LGBTQ+ justice intersect. In 2021, a Heritage of Pride program highlights the biographies and histories of LGBTQ+ pioneers like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Bayard Rustin. Community-building activities include a book club and a LGBTQ+ Laughs Comedy Hour to highlight the use of humor within the LGBTQ+ community to tell stories.  

CELEBRATION  

Banks work with members of Bentley PRIDE  (People Respecting Individuality and Diversity through Education), the LGBTQ+ Steering Committee and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to plan Pride Month events and to keep the momentum going throughout the year.  

“This is where our partners really come in to support programming and work focused on LGBTQ+ individuals,” Banks says. Year-round programming is created, including ally and trans ally workshops, social events like the Trans Awareness Week Tea Party in November, and campus favorites like Drag Bingo and Guess the Straight Person.   

 Banks says that a major milestone for Bentley happened in 2018 with the first pride flag raising on campus to commemorate Pride Month. In 2020, the campus changed to an adaptation of the classic rainbow flag: a progress flag that builds off the rainbow design, adding black and brown stripes — to represent and uplift Black and Brown community members — and elements of the blue, pink and white trans flag to the left side in a new arrow formation.   

 “The university took a very visible, dedicated step of showcasing that the LGBTQ+ community belongs here,” says Banks, who is also excited about seeing more intentional discussions on creating inclusive classrooms for LGBTQ+ students.   

 Banks offer this advice to getting involved in LGBTQ+ initiatives. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Creating an inclusive environment comes through trial and error. It’s about having the faith in yourself that even when you mess up, you can still push yourself forward. It’s all about being Bentley brave.”  

Learn more about events on the Bentley Diversity & Inclusion Instagram account @BentleyDiversity.