Pride Banner Signals Commitment to Being an Ally

A commitment to building an inclusive environment and educating others about being an ally was front and center at last month’s Pride banner raising. The event celebrated the College of Business raising a new Pride banner in front of Frazier Hall.

Raising a New Banner

This new banner replaces a Pride banner torn down by a white supremacist organization earlier this year. April’s event was had an in-person and virtual audience of over 400 attendees. The Pride Banner Celebration served as an opportunity to foster community and further engage in cross-campus collaboration. This event was co-sponsored by the LGBT Center.

“We gathered for this event to let all students, faculty, staff, and alumni know that no matter what they look like, who they are, or who they love, the College of Business at the University of Louisville is here to prepare them for success in business and beyond,” remarked Dean Todd Mooradian.

Among the speakers for the event were Dean Mooradian, LGBT Center Director Lisa Gunterman, College D&I Committee member Thomas Teague, Provost Lori Stewart Gonzalez, and students representing UofL’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA).

View pictures from the Pride Banner Raising Event

A Personal and Professional Commitment

The banner raising is an outward symbol of the continuing cultural conversation happening both at the College and University. For committee member Thomas Teague, it had personal significance. “As a gay man, this event and this banner affirm that I am welcome here and bring value to this community where that is not always the case in many spaces in society. [It also] represents a commitment from our College, and reinforces my personal commitment, to strive toward becoming a meaningful ally to members of our family who may be marginalized, or feel invisible.”

The College of Business hopes that these events, as well as additional programming, will inspire the community to aspire towards allyship — a lifelong practice where people with privilege and power act in solidarity with a marginalized group.

Defining what it means to be an ally is part of a larger conversation engaged by both the College and its D&I committee. The pride banner is part of a rotating scheduled banner series to serve as a visual reminder that the College of Business is a welcoming community—one where allies are accessible to anyone who may need one.

Learn more about the College’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee