Pride Month 2026
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) celebrate Pride Month during June 2026 by honoring and highlighting the many people and identities that make up the LGBTQIAP+ community as well as the diverse contributions of the LGBTQIAP+ community throughout history.
The first Pride march happened on June 28, 1970, in honor of the New York City Stonewall Riots that took place just one year prior. About 3,000 to 5,000 activists participated in the original Pride march. Since 1970, this number has grown exponentially. Pride Month is as much a celebration to increase visibility and honor the impact the LGBTQIAP+ community has had on history as it is an ongoing protest for liberation.
We encourage the WPI community to study, observe, and celebrate the countless and sometimes nameless LGBTQIAP+ people who have contributed to this Institute as well as other communities, organizations, and entities around the world.
STEM Scholar Highlights:
- Joalda Morancy (they/she), Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineer
- Dr. Carlos (ChaTo) Castillo (they/them), Computer Scientist
- Dr. Alejandra C. Ortiz (she/her), Coastal Geomorphologist
- Dr. Kevin H. Wong (he/him), Marine and Molecular Biologist
Take Action
- Attend events:
- Pride Flag Raising Ceremony: Monday, June 1, 5:00pm
- T.R.A.N.S. Towards Resilience: Advocacy and Storytelling: Thursday, June 4, 5:30-8:15pm
- Boston Dyke March: Friday, June 5, 6:30-9:30pm
- Shrewsbury Pride 5K: Saturday, June 6, 9:00am ET
- Boston Pride for the People: Saturday, June 6, 11:00am
- Pride Family Evening at the Discovery Museum: Saturday, June 6, 5:00-8:00pm
- Stonewall Sports Boston: Kickball After Dark: Saturday, June 6, 8:00-10:00pm
- Worcester Art Museum Free Day – Pride Celebration: Sunday, June 7, 10:00am-4:00pm ET
- Becoming Better Neighbors: LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Empathy in Action: Tuesday, June 9, 7:00-8:30pm
- Celebrating LGBTQ+ Art: Music for, about, and by LGBTQ+ Individuals: Thursday, June 11, 6:00-8:00pm, Emanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester, CT (free admission)
- Make. It. Werk. – A Drag Competition: Thursday, June 11, 8:00-11:00pm
- Femme’s Pride Block Party: Saturday, June 13, 8:00pm-2:00am
- Rocky Horror Picture Show with Shadowcasting by Teseracte Players: Saturday, June 13, 9:00pm ET
- The Best Little Drag Brunch in Worcester: Sunday, June 14, 12:00-3:00pm ET
- Trans Period Pride 2026: Wednesday, June 17, 6:00-7:00pm
- Pride Crafternoon: Fuse Bead Social at the McAuliffe Library: Sunday, June 21, 1:00-3:00pm
- Express Your Pride! With the Worcester Public Library: Tuesday, June 23, 3:00-4:00pm (For families with children, ages 0-12)
- Get Involved with and/or donate to Pride Worcester
- Support Safe Homes, Worcester: a program supporting LGBTQIA+ young people between the ages of 14 and 23.
- Support MassEquality, the "leading statewide grassroots advocacy organization working to ensure that everyone across Massachusetts can thrive from cradle to grave without discrimination and oppression based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression."
- Support the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), an organization dedicated to ending oppression and discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.
- Register to Vote -OR- Check Your Voter Registration
- Everything you need to vote. Vote.org
Read, Watch, Listen, Learn
- Explore ODIME’s LGBTQIAP+ Student Support website to learn about offerings that support our inclusive community
- Learn more about Pride Month online via the Library of Congress
- Explore the Gordon Library’s Gender & Sexuality Studies LibGuide and LGBTQIAP+ Pride Collection online
- Explore Human Rights Campaign’s online resources, including My Body, My Health
- Explore During Pride Month: Learn to Be an Ally to Transgender People in Your Community online
- Read The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist by Ben Barres
- Read Global Gay: How Gay Culture Is Changing the World by Frédéric Martel
- Read Butch Heroes by Ria Brodell
- Watch Paris is Burning (1990) on HBO Max
- Watch The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) on Amazon Prime
- Listen to The Queer Podcast
- Listen to The Bald and the Beautiful podcast with Trixie and Katya
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The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees student-facing learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.
