Inaugural Hokie and Proud Weekend set for April 5-7

The first ever Hokie and Proud Weekend will be held April 5-7. The event will be a chance to unite as a community for a weekend of inclusivity, connection, and celebration.

The schedule includes open houses at the Pride Center and Lavender House, networking opportunities, insightful presentations, and participation in The Big Event alongside current students.  

There also will be opportunities to connect over meals, unwind at happy hours, enjoy a queer trivia night, and attend a Denim and Diamonds-themed drag brunch hosted by Student Affairs’ Dining Services. A full schedule of events can be found online. 

The event marks a partnership between the university and the Ex Lapide Society, a free Virginia Tech society for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning alums and allies.

“A year ago, Virginia Tech brought together the university community to develop a strategy for building a lifelong relationship with LGBTQIA+ alums,” said Mark Weber '87, chair of the Ex Lapide Society. “Hokie and Proud Weekend is one significant example of the progress being made to create a diverse and inclusive environment. There is more work to do, but there are also so many meaningful engagement opportunities to maintain and rebuild relationships.”   

One special opportunity during the weekend will be a meet and greet with the organizers of the first Denim Day at Virginia Tech, which was in 1979.  

Commemorating its 45th anniversary in 2024, Denim Day was part of Virginia Tech’s first Gay Awareness Week as a way to show support and solidarity for LGBTQIA+ Hokies. 

“I am delighted and thrilled to have Denim Day lifted up and commemorated at our upcoming Hokie and Proud Weekend,” said Nancy Kelly, first lesbian co-president of the Gay Student Alliance and one of the organizers of the original event. “In 1979, the Virginia Tech Gay Student Alliance hosted the first open and public event that had the audacity to suggest that members of the queer community had basic human rights. This was the first of many important steps for our community.”

Ashleigh “Bing” Bingham, director of Virginia Tech’s Pride Center, said the impact of the work done by students in the 1970s is still felt almost half a century later.   

“As queer and trans people, finding our histories is an act of liberation. Historically, queer and trans people have been removed from mainstream narratives which limits our perceptions of ourselves and others,” Bing said. “Denim Day is a fascinating tale of student activism and institutional and social oppression. Many students at Virginia Tech are not aware of the people that came before them and made their current way of life possible on this campus.”

Bing said the Pride Center has been working to change that. There is now a timeline of Virginia Tech’s queer and trans events and history on display.  

“It's important we know that we belong here,” Bing said, “and that people like us have always been here."

For more information and to reserve your spot for the weekend, visit the website.