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Greetings from the Pride Center~

As the Queer Resource Center approached the end of its third year of operation, the Center’s Advisory Board began discussing the possibility of a name change in response to a number of different concerns from staff, faculty, students and community members. These initial findings and our report can be viewed online at http://oregonstate.edu/pridecenter/surveyinfo.php

From these conversations, the Advisory Board felt the need to find a new name that would be comfortable and welcoming to all members of our community. The name ‘Pride Community Center’ was tentatively chosen and the Board looked to the community for feedback. As the Board reconvened to examine the responses generated by the proposed name (both pro and con), a motion passed to change the name of the Queer Resource Center to the Pride Center. We hope the new name will increase the accessibility of the center to the students, staff, faculty and local community members we serve.

The renaming of the Center coincides with new beginnings within our organization. After almost 3 years of operation, the center will be moving out of the Women’s Center and into its own freestanding building. Along with our relocation, the center is gaining a full-time Coordinator of LGBT Outreach and Services. As we make these transitions over the summer, the Pride Center will undergo reorganization of web space, handouts, and physical space. We apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause, so please be patient as we continue to update, renew, and improve our resources, programs, and events.

As part of the renaming process, our email address has changed to pride.center@oregonstate.edu, and our website address has changed to http://oregonstate.edu/pridecenter. Be sure to update any filters you might have as well as any entries in your email address book for the center. Messages sent to the old Queer Resource Center email will be forwarded to pride.center@oregonstate.edu.

Below is the press release the Pride Center sent to local media outlets. As always, if you have any other comments, suggestions, or questions about our new name (or any of the services or programs we offer), please don't hesitate to contact us at 541.737.9161 or pride.center@oregonstate.edu

for immediate release...

NEW NAME SPARKS NEW ERA FOR OSU’S QUEER RESOURCE CENTER

Oregon State’s Queer Resource Center (QRC) will have a new name when fall term classes begin. The new name, PRIDE CENTER, will reflect the students’ desire to open the center to wider participation by students, staff, faculty, and community members, according to Luke Sugie, External Coordinator of the center. The name change will coincide with a new home for the center, which will be open when students, staff, and faculty return to classes in September.

The name change comes after several months of conversation with Queer students and allies. An online survey posted questions and responses about the need for a name change, and student leaders conducted several interest sessions to gather input from the community “on their experiences and opinions about the name of the QRC,” according to Sugie. Results of the voting were collected on May 26, 2004, and were presented to the Queer Resource Center Advisory Board, which made the final decision on the name change. “Our goal was to make this process as inclusive and transparent as possible,” Sugie says, “so we summarized individual responses and shared both positive and negative thoughts about the need for a name change.”

The new PRIDE CENTER name demonstrates the growth in the community and the maturation of students, Sugie says. “It demonstrates that we are openly proud of our identities. It is mindful of our allies, and will give us a chance to promote our services and educational components as we move into our new space.”

One issue of great importance to the students, says Sugie, is the use of the word Queer. Queer is a legitimate identity for many individuals, and while the word may be offensive to many, it does include all people who identify themselves that way. “This process is not meant to diminish or exclude Queer-identified people from using our center’s resources,” according to Sugie. “We are committed to provide support services and programs for anyone exploring issues related to sexual orientation, sex, and gender at Oregon State University, and we feel that renaming the center will allow us to connect with more individuals who don’t feel included by the current name.”

For information about the PRIDE CENTER, please contact pride.center@oregonstate.edu or visit http://oregonstate.edu/pridecenter

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