Gaypril
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting our Gaypril page! Gaypril is our month long celebration for our LGBTQ+ community. We have a variety of events for students, faculty, and staff and even some for the off-campus community. We invite everyone to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community and continue to learn about issues we face and how we can make Western and the rest of the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
This year's theme is Beyond Borders, which acknowledges and celebrates that LGBTQ+ experiences are not limited to location, sexuality, gender, race, disability, age, socioeconomic status, documented status, citizenship, religion, or any other aspects of our experiences.
Our goal of the Beyond Borders theme is to show support for LGBTQ+ people and their intersecting identities. April is also Undocumonth, Arab American Heritage Month, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We are partnering with offices and clubs around campus and organizations in the community to ensure we reaching as many people as we can.
From our annual drag show to affinity-centered events, we hope you will join us for a month of jubilation.
Happy Gaypril!
JoeHahn, LGBTQ+ Director
Featured Events
These are our big events for Gaypril 2024!
![On a black background there is a hazy image of a person in a gold sparkly top with big, textured, and teased red hair surrounded by red and pink hazy lights with one arm raised and face looking towards the sky. Across the top in white bold text reads “The 32nd Annual Drag Show Smoke and Mirrors: The Magic of Drag.” Across the bottom in white bold text reads “Saturday, 4/20. Door at 7pm, show at 7:30pm. Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. Tickets are on sale now at the PAC ticket office.]](/files/2024-04/32nd%20Annual%20Drag%20Show%20Final%20Poster%20%28Instagram%20Version%29.png)
Smoke & Mirrors: The Magic of Drag | 32nd Annual Drag Show
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April 20th – 7:30pm to 10pm
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Location: Performing Arts Center – Concert Hall
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Description: The Annual Show is finally here! This event is organized by Western students in collaboration with LGBTQ+ Western, and our show is the longest running university drag show in the state! This year’s theme is “Smoke & Mirrors: The Magic of Drag.” We recognize that the world needs the magic of drag now more than ever. So, we are asking our performers this year to answer the question “What makes my drag magical?”
Generations of Pride
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Wednesday April 24th 5-7pm
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Location: Bellingham Senior Activity Center 315 Halleck St, Bellingham WA 98225 .
Join us for our 4th Generations of Pride Dinner! Generations of Pride is our intergenerational dinner for LGBTQ+ adults including students, faculty, staff, and the larger Bellingham Community. Potluck style, but bringing food is not required.
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Hosted by Western Washington University's LGBTQ+ Western, Bellingham Queer Collective, and the Bellingham/Whatcom Chapter of PFLAG. Discussions are led by faculty and students from Western's Psychology Department's Listen Lab.
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Come and go as you need to and please bring friends! Main event starts around 5:30.
Upcoming Events
This list shows upcoming events. Scroll to see previous events. List updated three times a week.
-Check back soon for the full event list-
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April 23rd – 4pm to 6pm
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Location: Viking Union 735
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Description: Looking to be in community with other folks who are polyamorous and/or practice ethical nonmonogamy? This is the spot for you! Come be in community with folks and learn from one another.
CANCELLED to avoid conflict with Love Constellations. We hope to host this event again in the future
4-5pm VU 740
Queer and Trans People of Color are often at the epicenter of activism movements, but do we know their names? Learn about iconic QTPOC activists, their work, and how you can continue their legacy and make your own.
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Queer and Arab Lunch and Learn
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W April 24th – 12pm to 1pm
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Location: Viking Union 735
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Description: Join us for a discussion on Pink Washing
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W April 24th 5-7pm
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Location: Bellingham Senior Activity Center 315 Halleck St, Bellingham WA 98225
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Generations of Pride is a community potluck dinner for LGBTQ+ people and allies in the Bellingham/Whatcom community.
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Hosted by Western Washington University's LGBTQ+ Western, Bellingham Queer Collective, and the Bellingham/Whatcom Chapter of PFLAG. Discussions are led by faculty and students from Western's Psychology Department's Listen Lab.
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Each month we have a different topic for discussion with breakouts to help connect LGBTQ+ people across generations.
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Bringing food it not required, but highly encouraged! At this time, we are only bringing vegetarian and vegan meals that are homemade for food safety reasons. If you'd like to bring meat-based dishes, you may bring ready-to-eat food from a restaurant such as pizza.
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Come and go as you need to and please bring friends! Main event starts around 5:30.
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Th April 25th – 7:30pm
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Location: The DUG Theatre – Performing Arts Center Rm.199
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Description: Come out to the theatre with LGBTQ+ Western! We will be going to this showing of "The Cake". The show covers queer topics and centers relationships, platonic and romantic! Afterwards we will have some treats together and talk about the show. The show is 120 minutes. More details here.
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The Cake is also showing on the following dates:
- Fri. April 19, 7:30pm, Sat. April 20, 2:00pm, Sat. April 20, 7:30pm, Wed. April 24, 7:30pm, Fri. April 26, 7:30pm, Sat. April 27, 2:00pm, Sat. April 27, 7:30pm PDT
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M April 26th – 12-1pm
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Location: The Disability Outreach Center
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Description: A collaboration between the Neurodiverse Community Space and The Neurodiversity club to have a conversation about the intersections of neurodiversity and queerness!
Join us for an interactive discussion about how race, class, and sex intersect with our identities as gay, bi, and queer men.
4-5pm VU 740
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F April 26th – 5pm to 8pm
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Location: Wade King Recreation Center
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Description: Join us for LGBTQ+ night at the Rec Center! Featuring the rock climbing wall and the pool!
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April 27th – 12pm to 8pm
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Location: Academic West
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Description: WWU QueerCon is an annual student organized LGBTQIA2S+ art, comics, society, and media fan convention and conference held at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA! Follow them on Instagram @wwuqueercon for more information.
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April 29th – 4:30pm to 6:00pm
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Location: Wilson Library Reading Room
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Description: Come celebrate a fantastic month of Gaypril events at the Gaypril LGBTQ+ Closing Community Social - Rainbow Rendezvous! This event is open to students, faculty/staff, and community members to attend. Join us for some food, activities, and great opportunities to meet queer people at Western and from the surrounding areas!
Past Events
Events that have happened will be moved here.
Friday Crafternoons
Join us every Friday in Gaypril in the LGBTQ+ Lounge (or VU 735, if we need space) for a calm crafting party. Chat with friends, enjoy some tea, and craft the afternoon away!
Every Friday 12-4pm in Viking Union 723.
Celebrate your friendships and make new friends at our annual friendship bracelet Crafternoons. Now with new materials and bracelet making tutorials.
This special Crafternoon will be in VU 735 and involves making patches! Bring any material you'd like to have a patch of and we'll teach you how to make them.
Affinity Centered Spaces
Affinity Centered spaces are special events that support students with identities that sometimes are marginalized, even in larger LGBTQ+ groups.
Four of the spaces are ongoing throughout the year. Two of them are Gaypril only events that we are using to gauge interest in making a regular program. Details on each of the spaces are below.
These spaces center certain populations. But like all Western Washington University and LGBTQ+ Western events, they are open for all. Anyone who does not identify with the affinity is asked to come open-minded and as an ally to support the people with the identity. If you are interested in starting another Affinity Centered Space, please email lgbtq@wwu.edu.
Locations may be changed or times extended beyond 1 hour for some events, please see specific event to confirm location and time.
Juicy Fruit
Monday, April 15th 4-5pm VU 735
Juicy Fruit celebrates our fat and plus-sized LGBTQ+ community with activities and discussion.
Black LGBTQ+ Thriving Collective
1st & 2nd Tuesdays 4-5pm VU 740
The Black LGBTQ+ Thriving Collective exists to advance the holistic wellness and academic success of Black LGBTQ+ Western students. We do this by:
- Fostering social connection among peers
- Providing leadership development opportunities, including through programming
- Mentoring and connecting students with resources across the university, and
- Maintaining a regular line of communication with the LGBTQ+ Director as they work across the university to advance support for Black LGBTQ+ students
The Black LGBTQ+ Thriving Collective is a collaboration between LGBTQ+ Western and the Office of Multicultural Student Services. Join us; we are excited to connect with you!
Join the BLTC for an interactive workshop where you get to see how your Black and Queer identities intersect with other identities. A great way to get to know your peers and even get to know yourself! 4-5:30 VU 735
The Color Purple is a reimagining of Alice Walker's beloved Black queer classic. Rated PG-13
Torn apart from her sister and her children, Celie faces many hardships in life, including an abusive husband. With support from a sultry singer named Shug Avery, as well as her stand-her-ground stepdaughter, Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood.
Content Warning: Brief sexual and domestic violence, racism, anti-blackness, implied but not directly shown sex.
4-5:30pm VU 740
Trans Tea
1st & 3rd Tuesdays 4-5pm VU 462
Trans Tea is a space for trans-spectrum and non-binary students and allies to come together to discuss current events, learn about services and resources, and enjoy tea and snacks. Our longest running Affinity Based Program!
Join us for Show & Tell! Our annual Trans Tea event where students bring an item (or image of said item) to show & tell. Maybe you have a cool collectible, or a sentimental item from your family, or something related to your special interest or your field of study. Whatever your item is, come show it off!
4-5pm VU 462
Gender affirming care is hard to figure out. Learn from resources on campus and in the community to support your gender journey.
4-5pm VU 462
Love Constellations: Poly & ENM Gathering
April 23rd 4-6pm VU 735
Love Constellations is a gathering for poly people and anyone who practices, or is interested in learning more about, ethical non-monogamy.
Gay, Bi, Queer Men's Gatherings
2nd & 3rd Wednesdays 4-5pm VU 740 (NEW TIME)
These meetings are designed to support our Gay, Bi, and Queer Men on Campus. Empowering this community, establishing support systems, and networking is among many of the things we want to encourage! These spaces are inclusive for trans men and non-binary masculine people!
Join us for a Gay Romantic Comedy screening and discussion!
4-5:30pm VU 740
Join us for an interactive discussion about how race, class, and sex intersect with our identities as gay, bi, and queer men.
4-5pm
Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) Gatherings
2nd & 4th Tuesdays 4-5pm VU 740
In collaboration with the Counseling and Wellness Center, we will host this affinity centered space focuses on queer and trans people of color as we discuss resources, current events, pop culture, etc that center Queer and Trans People of Color.
4-5pm VU 740
April is Gaypril AND National Poetry Month! Join us for a poetry workshop to craft your own poems and listen to poems by QTPOC poets like James Galdwin, Audre Lorde, Saeed Jones, Tommy Pico, and more!
APOLOGIES, THIS HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO OVERLAP WITH LOVE CONSTELLATIONS
Queer and Trans People of Color are often at the epicenter of activism movements, but do we know their names? Learn about iconic QTPOC activists, their work, and how you can continue their legacy and make your own.