“There is such a sense of euphoria when the students come together at New York City’s Pride event, and also a sense of arrival,” he said. What began three years ago as student-led interest in participating in the NYC Pride March turned into Temple’s first Pride class in 2019, complete with an internship worth up to three credit hours. Temple’s participation at NYC’s Pride event was the culmination of weeks of study, research, meetings and more within Gratson’s Pride class. Gratson watched smiles of joy and wonder slip across the faces of his students, both current and former. When the marchers neared the singing onlookers, a feeling like electricity ran through them. Gratson, the director of communication studies, a professor of instruction in communication and social influence, and the director of undergraduate studies at Klein College of Media and Communication, coordinated with his students to wear t-shirts that each depicted the name of a transgender woman of color who was killed in this past year-a reminder of those for whom they were marching.Īs they made their way down multicolored streets, a familiar sound reached their ears-“T for Temple U,” the Temple fight song. Scott Gratson led alumni and students of Temple University’s Pride class down the same path he traveled in 2019 alongside the Buddhists Creating a Better World for LGBTQ+ People and the five hosts of Queer Eye. The Empire State Building stood out among dozens of other skyscrapers, lit up in a colorful array of rainbows in celebration of New York City’s annual Pride event.
Banners displaying the words “ The fight continues” swung through the air as hundreds of physically distanced marchers made their way down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.