PITTSBURGH (PTTP) – Pitt’s Rainbow Alliance chapter is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in a campus-wide Pridd Week, which will incorporate multiple events over the next three weeks.
Created in 1972, Rainbow Alliance has a strong history at the University of Pittsburgh The first mentions of the club date back to 1972, and in 2023, the celebration sets up to be the biggest celebration in their history. Following three years of COVID where they held Pride Week virtually or tamed down, in 2023, it’s a full go.
“We have such a rich history that we are looking to embrace and give back to this week,” Rainbow Alliance president Laura Stravach said. “We found the first mentions of it in 1972 and its rich history is part of what makes us as a group strong.”
While it is called Pride Week, the celebration will end up being three weeks long. From March 22 to April 7, events will be held on campus to celebrate the week. It started on Wednesday with the Dylan Mulneavy event. On Thursday, it continues with the Rainbow Alliance archival event to celebrate 50 years.
“These events are always awesome, but I’ve never got to truly experience a full-on Pride Week here,” Stravach said. “This will be the first year we really get to go all out in a celebration.”
However, the highlights will be on March 25 and March 26. On March 25, Pitt Tonight and Rainbow Alliance will partner for a celebration concert called ‘Love on the Lawn’ from 3 to 6:30 p.m. The event will fundraise for Rainbow Alliance, Days for Girls, and the Children’s Miracle Network.
On March 26, Rainbow Alliance will host the Panther Drag Showcase. All proceeds of that will go to groups that counteract anti-trans rhetoric. The historic celebration has a sense of community at an all-time high.
“The community has come together in such a beautiful way,” Stravach said. “You feel the love and support from all around. It’s a great thing.”
With the anti-trans events occurring on campus during the celebrations, there has been an uplifting of the group from within. Their celebration will be as much to strengthen that sense of community.
“With the anti-trans rhetoric, we have to be closer than ever,” Stravach said. “This week is going to celebrate our strength and that sense of community.”
The Rainbow Alliance has a rich history with a vast network of alumni. They hope to tap into that sense of strength for their 50th anniversary.
