By Donovan Linder

The greater New Haven area is full of life for the members of the LGBT community and its allies. For those who might not be familiar with the LGBT community, here is some background. The acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, but often times you might see the ‘A’ tagged onto as well which means ‘allies’ (straight or heterosexual individuals who are in support of the LGBT community).

Here on campus, UNH Pride is thriving with members of the community and they are in the process of planning exciting events for the semester. The organization may be young, but they are definitely full of energy and always participate in community service activities that relate to the community.

Within the greater New Haven region, there is a New Haven Pride center that is open to the general public to stop by and help out. Whether you are out of the closest or just want to give a helping hand, they are sure to have something for you to get involved in. The center has committees in which prospective or current members can be part of, ranging from fundraising to operations to programming and communications.

Since the 90s, New Haven Pride center has been a major support to members of the community. Their website says it all: “What’s easy to see from your first visit to the Center is that it fills a real need in the community.”

The center is a hub of activities catering to the needs of Connecticut’s LGBT community. It is becoming a “beacon” for those looking to understand their identity and place within the community and in history.

What is so great about the LGBT network in New Haven is the abundant amount of resources they have for students, whether they be graduating high school or in college, both undergraduates and graduates. Every year, the organization gives thousands of dollars to students pursuing an education.

Connecticut is one of the leading states in LGBT movement, having same-sex marriage signed into law in 2007, making it the third state in the U.S to have a legislative body in favor of same-sex marriage. Since then, it has continued to surprise the nation.

According to Wikipedia, on April 22, 2009, lawmakers of Connecticut both in the House (vote 100-44) and in the Senate (vote 28-7) agreed to repeal all the old marriage laws and fully replace them with genderless quotes, and all references to marriage will be fully gender-neutral. Most resident voters in the state are supporters of same-sex marriage.

And with the 2012 presidential elections in November plus a president who already is in full support of same-sex marriage, the LGBT community is going in strong.

So if you are a student, faculty or staff member and want to build a positive LGBT community on campus, come to the UNH Pride meetings held every Thursday at 9 p.m.

For more information about UNH Pride contact the organization at [email protected]. To reach New Haven Pride Center visit their website at www.newhavenpridecenter.org