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Signature Events

Event Calendar

Week of Welcome Events

The Yale LGBTQ Center is always excited to welcome new Yalies during our annual weeks of welcome.  Each year, we coordinate welcome and orientation events across Yale College and our 14 Yale Graduate and Professional Schools to share more about our community center, affiliated groups, and programs and services. These are great ways to get acclimated to Yale and get involved in the LGBTQ community.

LGBTQ History Month

October is LGBTQ History Month and throughout the whole month, we uplift the heritage of the queer and trans pioneers throughout history.  If it wasn’t for their resilience, many of the rights we enjoy today would not be possible. We recognize Banned Books Week in partnership with the American Library Association where we draw attention to the historical and contemporary attempts to censure our community.  We also recognize OUT Week, a time in which we we honor the coming out process and what it has meant to so many people and to queer visibility.  This is a time to share histories of significant leaders and our own narratives. For more information about navigating the Coming Out process and owning your own story in various contexts, check out our Coming Out Guides

Monster Mash (Halloween Party)

Halloween often hailed as the “Gay Christmas” and holds a special place in the heart of the LGBTQ community. A day first celebrated for over 2000 years, its origins trace back to the Celtic holiday of Samhain, when the boundaries between the living and the dead blurred. The significance of Halloween has undergone several transformations throughout history: from being considered a pagan holiday in early America to eventually becoming an occasion for festivity.  For the LGBTQ community, Halloween was a day to challenge societal norms. At a time when it was unacceptable to be openly queer, Halloween served as a platform to express creativity and gender fluidity, providing many the freedom to be their true selves without the constraints of societal judgment.

Today, this celebration stands as a testament to the unyielding spirit of the LGBTQ community, offering a sanctuary for self-expression and the breaking of boundaries. Halloween has become a monumental day for queer businesses, second only to Pride.  Embrace this ongoing legacy and join us in our annual Signature Event, Monster Mash! Our theme changes each year, but this is the event you can’t miss. 

Pride@Yale

Pride starts early at Yale, but we continue the celebrations through the end of June.  In April, the Yale LGBTQ Center and LGBTQ groups across campus host a number of pride events, outings and socials.  These events vary year to year, but always include our annual spring party hosted by the Pride@Yale standing committee, Pride Prom. If you or your organization is interested in hosting or cosponsoring a Pride event, please contact the chair of the Pride@Yale committee.   

Lavender Commencement

Each year the Yale LGBTQ Center recognizes and celebrates the achievements of graduating LGBTQ undergraduate and graduate students.  Lavender Commencement is an opportunity for family, friends, faculty, and staff to recognize and celebrate the achievements of our graduates. It is also a time for the graduates to acknowledge family, friends, faculty, and staff who have supported them through their long journey in search of knowledge and higher learning. Students can register for private recognition or attend our annual undergraduate or graduate and professional student receptions, where they will receive certificates and honor cords.  

Alumni Receptions

The Yale LGBTQ Center is always excited to welcome alumni back to campus and we coordinate open house receptions for each Yale College Reunion.  This is a great opportunity for you to reconnect with other LGBTQ alumni or connect with the staff at the Yale LGBTQ Center to learn more about our current projects and programs.  Visit Yale College Reunions for more information on your upcoming reunion.

Full Events Calendar

See the full list of our upcoming events and programs on Yale Connect

Events Calendar