Iowa State’s Pride Alliance provides a space to raise up the voices of queer students and educate anyone interested in the LGBTQIA+ community. 

According to their website, Pride Alliance’s mission is to provide a safe space where students and guests can discuss and learn about the LGBTQIA+ community, their sexual orientation and gender identity and to have support in their acceptance of themselves and others.

“Pride Alliance holds biweekly meetings that are open to anyone who wants to have a safe space to learn and share their experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community at [Iowa State],” said Claire Daly, secretary of Pride Alliance and freshman in criminal justice.

Every year Pride Alliance hosts two major events and sponsors one. The largest event they hold on campus is an annual semester drag show hosted in the Memorial Union. Pride Alliance usually features the talents of student performers and drag royalty. 

The second event hosted by Pride Alliance is a trip that they co-sponsor with the Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success program THRIVE.

“Every February, we take a group of pride alliance members that have to apply to the Midwestern Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference, MBLGTACC,” Daly said. 

MBLGTACC is a three-day conference where all students are able to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community and discuss issues that pertain to their identity. This past year, Pride Alliance attended the conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and next year will be attending in Madison, Wisconsin.

The third major event Pride Alliance is a part of is the spring semester Pride Prom. Pride Prom is hosted by Gamma Rho Lambda and is sponsored by The Pride Alliance. It is hosted annually in April at the Memorial Union.

Pride Prom “gives queer students the opportunity to relax and have fun in a safe environment,” Daly said.

Daly said the goals and visions of Pride Alliances are simple. 

“We strive to create a better environment for the LGBTQIA+ community, not just at [Iowa State] but as well as Ames, and bring light to serious topics occurring in the world today,” Daly said. 

Pride Alliance strives to eliminate homophobia and heterosexism in all aspects of life, whether it be on campus or outside of Iowa State.  

“Other than joining marching band, Pride Alliance was the first student organization that I joined, and immediately, I felt at home,” Daly said.  “As someone who had recently come out as gay, as well as Catholic, I found it rewarding to discover an organization that accepts me for me.”