About Us

The Pride Center for Gender and Sexuality is dedicated to creating a more supportive and inclusive campus community.

Vision

We envision a campus community that affirms, respects, and celebrates all genders and sexualities and resists intersecting forms of oppression.

Mission

The Pride Center fosters a supportive and inclusive campus community for queer and trans students, faculty, and staff through intersectional programs, education, support resources, and advocacy.

Core Values

Social Justice 

We are committed to liberation – challenging the norms and institutionalization of intersecting forms of oppression and systemic discrimination.  

Community 

We are committed to creating a sense of belonging by investing in our community, expanding our programs and resources, advocating at the intersections of identity, and creating affirming spaces for the UND Queer and Trans community.  

Pride 

We celebrate, honor, and recognize our Queer and Trans past, present and future. 

Collaboration 

We are committed to building and modeling sustainable partnerships that hold our campus community accountable to critical learning and action to support Queer and Trans students, faculty, and staff.  

Empowerment 

We work to help students reach their potential through self-discovery, leadership opportunities, and developing a sense of agency toward social change. 

Our History

The Pride Center opened in 2017 after years of advocacy work by an LGBTQ+ student group, known today as the Queer & Trans Alliance. UND was the first institution of higher education in the state of North Dakota to have a physical space and full-time staff member dedicated to LGBTQ+ students.

Timeline

1982: UND Gay Community forms as first LGBTQ+ organization in North Dakota.

1990: First Coming Out Week held at UND, hosted by the Organization for Alternative Lifestyles (Formerly known as the UND Gay Community).

2017: UND Pride Center opens in the Memorial Union and the first full-time LGBTQ+ support staff member is hired.

2022: Dr. Jeff Maliskey is hired as the inaugural Pride Center director.