Thirty years of diversity at Central

Central’s Pride Week is still making a name for itself, even after 30 years. Hosted every year by Equality Through Queers and Allies (EQuAl), students come together for a week of activities that celebrate diversity.

EQuAl has progressed far from the “secret society” it was 30 years ago, EQuAl President Jourdyn Payne, junior interdisciplinary studies (IDS) major, said.

Pride Week is now a highly anticipated event by both the Central and Ellensburg communities.

According to EQuAl Vice President Mariah Rocker, junior public relations major, the goal of Pride Week is “to raise awareness and visibility [and to] celebrate diversity within the community.”

This year, Pride Week takes place May 25 through 29, and it’s been a long time coming for those planning the event.

“[We] start planning the first week [of the year],” Payne said.

Members of EQuAl had to schedule events, reserve rooms, organize sponsors and more. Rigorous amounts of planning was required to make Pride Week possible, but EQuAl was dedicated to ensuring the success of the event and getting approval from the local community.

EQuAl’s Equity and Service Council Member Charlie Weber, junior IDS major, said there have been changes to the event year to year.

He said that last quarter, there were between four and five “Guess the Straight” panels, whereas this quarter, there are none.

According to Payne, EQuAl has had “a lot more presence on campus” in the last few years.
The goal of Pride Week, according to Rocker, is to create a welcoming environment for everyone who attends.

“It’s my favorite time of the year, I met all of my best friends from EQuAl,” Weber said.
Despite no significant uproar over the events of Pride Week, board members still take necessary precautions to make sure things run smoothly for events like the annual Drag Show.

“We want to keep our queens safe,” Weber said.

This year, the club has integrated a new event, “Field Day,” that will take place on May 25. According to Weber, the new event was created to incorporate diversity on campus in a fun, light-hearted environment.

Payne said EQuAl is “always something I look at [as] a really nice environment to be around people who don’t judge you.”