Members of the URI community were invited to strut their stuff at the final event of the 2021 LGPTQ+ Symposium. Photo by James McIntosh.
The 2021 LGBTQ+ Symposium organized by the University of Rhode Island Gender and Sexuality Center featured a series of events starting March 15, ending with a Fashion Show to show off their best pandemic looks on March 19.
The fashion show occurred in the main room at the Gender and Sexuality Center, located right at the top of campus. The staff at the facility decked out the room with LED lights on the floor to line the “catwalk,” disco lights and socially-distanced chairs along the side.
Participants in the fashion show strutted their way down the catwalk in their “quarantine chic” attire, rocking slippers, jogger-style sweatpants and other casual loungewear. Greeting them at the end of the catwalk was a pride flag, which provided a great background for photos.
As the participants walked out, the audience hyped them up and cheered them on as they showed off their favorite outfits, leaving participants feeling confident, empowered and loved.
“Models” in the show got to pick their walk-out song, with selections that ranged from “Good as Hell” by Lizzo to “Me Too” by Meghan Trainor. These powerful songs put a light, empowered mood on the night and made for a lot of fun for attendees.
Tori Frank, a freshman who participated in the event, called it the “highlight of her week.”
“I loved the fashion show. I was practicing my model walk for days before,” said Frank. “I had so much fun being able to bring out my inner Kendall Jenner and walk to my favorite song.”
The Gender and Sexuality Center have been hosting their annual symposium since 1995, making this year the 26th year that this event has taken place, according to Rhianna Eleck, the Mental Health and Education Specialist at the center.
This year they had a jam-packed week full of events which included keynote speaker and creator of “Pose” Steven Canals, Safe Zone trainings and the fashion show. Eleck said that the Symposium is a great way to get the LGBTQ+ community active on campus, to celebrate their pride and bond with others.
“We had our Sex Toy Bingo on Thursday night and that was a great hit,” said Eleck. “We love seeing the community be represented on campus.”
The Gender and Sexuality Center provides a “safe place” for LGBTQ+ students on campus, with multiple support groups and other club meetings within their facility. In their building, there is a library, a conference room and a lounge, complete with Nintendo Switch and PlayStation gaming systems.
Eleck said that the Center is always welcoming new faces and loves to have people coming in and out to use their facility. She was happy with the outcome of this year’s symposium, even with COVID-19, and is glad that students were still able to make the most of it and show their pride.
“Although it was different than what we are used to, we’re really happy that people were still able to participate in the events of this year’s symposium and are looking forward to next year,” Eleck said.