Student Organization of the Month: BobcatPRIDE

By Nadia Gomez
Community Relations Director

This month, the KTSW Community Relations department has chosen Bobcat PRIDE as the student organization of the month for Feb. This month, I had the pleasure of speaking to Bobcat PRIDE’s President, Avery Wright (he/him). His job as president is to be in charge of everything the organization does and ensure all the officers are taking care of their responsibilities. 

“This is my fifth semester being the [Bobcat PRIDE] president. So I’ve had a lot of time to learn from my mistakes and master the position,” Wright said.

I spoke to him about the purpose of Bobcat PRIDE, what Bobcat PRIDE typically does as an organization and some things they wanted the student body and public to know about them.

Bobcat PRIDE aims to serve the LGBTQIA+ students at Texas State University and their allies. The organization educates its members on queer-related issues and current events. 

“We act as a safe space for queer students to make friends and connect with other queer students,” Wright said. 

Bobcat PRIDE hosts plenty of events so that its members can socialize and have fun together. Their biggest event that the organization hosts is its annual Second Chance Prom, which is held in April. 

“This event is a dance for students to wear what they want and bring who they want. This is because a lot of queer students didn’t get to have that experience in high school,” Wright said. 

On March 4th, Bobcat PRIDE is hosting a raffle that will help the organization fundraise for this year’s Second Chance Prom. The organization is collaborating with local businesses that have donated some of their products to raffle off. 

“This event has been in the works for several months now. So we are hoping to get a pretty good turnout,” Wright said. 

Wright said that his favorite aspect about being part of Bobcat PRIDE is the friendships that he has made. He stated how important it was for Texas State to have safe spaces where people can talk about their shared experiences. Wright said that it had to him a while to figure out who his friend group would be in college. However before he knew it, he had found a home and a place where he felt comfortable with Bobcat PRIDE. 

“Many of the officers I’ve worked with over the years have become really close friends that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I think that can be said for the other queer and minority organizations here at Texas State,” Wright said. 

Bobcat PRIDE aims to provide a positive and supportive environment for individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community while engaging in activism, education, and community service programs in the community. Bobcat PRIDE creates an open and safe dialogue with allies and other organizations on campus to work towards a positive social change. 

Bobcat PRIDE has weekly meetings every Tuesday at 7 p.m. To learn more about their raffle fundraiser, Second Chance Prom, or anything about the organization, you can contact their Twitter or Instagram @BobcatPRIDETXST

Featured Image from BobcatPride