CMU’s Pride Celebrations
Celebrating LGBTQIA+ history, community, and contributions through education, connection, and reflection.
Each year, Carnegie Mellon University brings the campus community together to celebrate Pride and recognize LGBTQIA+ history, experiences and contributions. Through keynote lectures, community conversations and other educational and commemorative events, these celebrations foster greater understanding, connection and inclusion.
Past Events
2026 Pride Celebration: "Falling in Love on Videocassette: 14 Years of the Pittsburgh Queer History Project" with Dr. Harrison Apple
Featuring Dr. Harrison Apple and moderated by Bekezela Mguni, the 2026 Pride Celebration explores Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ history through the work of the Pittsburgh Queer History Project and its efforts to preserve and share the stories of the community.
2025 Pride Celebration: “Speaking of Pride: A Community Conversation”
Featuring a panel of practitioners and scholars with expertise and experience centered on Queer lived experiences, the 2025 Pride Celebration explores the experiences of CMU’s Queer community and ways to cultivate understanding, compassion and support across identities and cultures.
2024 Pride Keynote Lecture with Rabbi Sandra Lawson: Black, Jewish & Queer: Building Bridges Across Identities & Communities
Featuring Rabbi Sandra Lawson, the 2024 Pride Keynote explores the intersections of Black, Jewish and Queer identities and the importance of building bridges across identities and communities.
2023 Pride Keynote Lecture with Hugh Ryan: Where Are We Now and How Did We Get Queer?
Featuring writer and curator Hugh Ryan, the 2023 Pride Keynote explores the changing nature of LGBTQ+ identity in America and the historical parallels to shifts in queer identity at the end of the 19th century.
2022 Pride Keynote Lecture with Hugh Ryan
Featuring writer and curator Hugh Ryan, the 2022 Pride Keynote explores queer history and the experiences of LGBTQ+ communities through Ryan’s work documenting and preserving stories of the past. The event offers an opportunity to reflect on LGBTQ+ history, the importance of preserving queer stories and the ways those histories continue to shape our understanding of identity and community.
Queer on Campus: A Conversation about LGBTQ+ Inclusivity with the CEO of Campus Pride
Featuring Shane Windmeyer, founder and CEO of Campus Pride, and moderated by Dr. Harrison Apple, the 2022 conversation explores current LGBTQ+ issues in higher education, trends in campus inclusivity, and the ongoing work to create more inclusive college communities.
Queering the Way for National Coming Out Day
Featuring a panel of CMU and higher education leaders, the 2021 National Coming Out Day event explores LGBTQ+ identities, allyship and accompliceship, inclusive facilities, and the importance of authenticity in fostering greater inclusiveness and belonging.