University Life
""

PRIDE

Bentley's LGBTQ+ Student Organization

""

Our Mission

PRIDE provides a safe and supportive place for the LGBTQ community in hopes of raising awareness and spreading knowledge concerning LGBTQ issues. The organization strives to create an acceptance and tolerance of all people and an open environment free of judgment and prejudice. We aim to do this through advocacy and equality, thereby building community and peaceful coexistence.

Signature Programs

Shadow of drag queen performer with lights in the background

Drag Bingo

PRIDE hosts a campus-wide bingo or trivia event each fall to educate the community about drag culture. Each year, a drag queen hosts several rounds of bingo around campus. The event introduces drag as an important subset of LGBTQ+ culture.

Snap Judgements

Held annually, and formerly known as Guess the Straight Person, this program challenges stereotypes and pushes people to face them. A panel of faculty, staff and students answer daring questions to broaden thinking and debunk myths. This is an opportunity for the audience and panel members come together to learn more about the ways stereotypes inform us in our everyday lives.

Arch of balloons as attendees enjoy food in the background

PRIDE Prom

In April 2022, PRIDE hosted the inaugural PRIDE Prom, a celebratory space designed to center LGBTQ+ individuals, and open to everyone of all gender and sexual identities. The first prom was a night full of community and joy, which PRIDE plans to continue as a tradition moving forward.

LGBTQ Holidays and Memorials

Throughout the year, PRIDE commemorates a number of holidays and memorial days honoring the LGBTQ community. Explore the list of holidays and how we celebrate by clicking below. 

PRIDE Holidays & Memorial Days

Campus Partnerships

PRIDE Mentorship Program

PRIDE partners with GSSP to lead a mentorship program for LGBTQ students. Each participant is matched with a faculty or staff member as an advisor and an incoming first year student in a tiered system of mentorship. The goal is for the mentors and mentees to develop an open dialogue, meet monthly, and attend networking sessions on relevant topics. To participate in the 2021-2022 Mentorship Program, please email Dorothy Polatin at dpolatin@bentley.edu.

PRIDE Open Forums

Hosted by PRIDE and GSSP, the monthly Open Forums series examines the connection between LGBTQ identity and identities such as religion, international status, race and ethnicity, and career industry. This space is an opportunity for dialogue and to ask questions of the speaker, one another, and ourselves.

Rainbow Lunch

The annual Rainbow Lunch is a celebration of the LGBTQ community at Bentley. Hosted by PRIDE and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, the event features keynote addresses by prominent national speakers and honors two Bentley individuals who make outstanding and courageous contributions toward a supportive and inclusive environment on campus.

Gender & Sexuality Student Lounge

Bentley’s Gender and Sexuality Student Lounge is a welcoming, inclusive space designed as a home base for students who identify as women and/or as LGBTQ+, and their allies. It’s also home to student organizations like PRIDE that promote inclusion and social justice. Visit us in the Student Center, Room 310A.

""

More Resources

LGBTQ Hotline Resources