https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/appalachian-state-university-after-
pride-week-name-change-lgbtq-staff-firings-students-fear-suppression/ar-
BB1l8y9z

This was supposed to be Appalachian State University�s annual Pride Week.
The North Carolina public university�s Pride Week � which typically takes
place in April, hosted by the school�s LGBTQ+ Center � usually consists of
panels, art galleries and socials that celebrate and affirm queer and
trans identity.

Instead, students say the program was rebranded, omitting �Pride� from the
title. Some students on campus say they fear it�s a form of queer
suppression on campus � and a threat of things to come. The concerns come
amid a surge of anti-DEI bills targeting universities in red states, as
well as other issues related to Appalachian State�s LGBTQ+ community,
including the cancelation of a Drag Trivia event and the firing of four
LGBTQ+ university employees. School leaders say the events are unrelated,
but the timing leaves students wary.

�My disgust comes from [school leaders] giving up before they have to,�
Evan Foster, a gay rising junior studying public health at Appalachian
State, told Teen Vogue. Foster believes Pride Week�s name change and lack
of drag inclusion comes from a place of school administration proactively
responding to anti-DEI legislation in North Carolina.

School leaders say the rebrand, drag trivia event, and employees being
fired are unrelated, but the timing leaves some students wary.

While new information � following questions from Teen Vogue and other news
outlets � has brought some clarity to the situation, students say they
still want transparency directly from school leaders.

A new name sparks concerns among students
This year�s Pride celebration was scheduled for April 1 through 6. But in
the weeks leading up to the event, the Henderson Springs LGBTQ+ Center
began promoting this year�s celebration as �Spring Fest.�
�Spring Fest� is described in part as a week of �events designed to
educate, empower, and unite Mountaineers of all identities, especially our
LGBTQ+ community of App State.� In interviews with Teen Vogue, school
leaders maintained that the school�s LGBTQ+ Center presented the name and
itinerary, but declined to go into specifics. Some students say the new
name reads like a form of pandering to state pressures.

In a statement responding to the backlash over the new name published on
social media by the school LGBTQ+ Center, the office stated its
�commitment� to support the school�s queer community �is strong� and that
�the center is fully operational.� (In a petition launched March 21, some
students allege the center isn�t appropriately staffed.) �Spring Fest 2024
is a celebration of the vibrant uniqueness within the Queer community,�
the center�s statement said. �Throughout the weeklong programming, we aim
to create inclusive spaces where every identity is celebrated.� A
spokesperson for the school�s LGBTQ+ Center did not respond to Teen
Vogue�s request for comment.

The social media statement from the LGBTQ+ Center did not directly address
the event�s new name. In the comment section, students criticized the
Spring Fest name and implored fellow students to keep calling it �Pride
Fest.�

Student leaders involved with the school�s College Democrats, as well as
the Student Government and Graduate Student Government Association, claim
the new name was a direct order from school administrators and happened
without consulting them.

The school administration says the new name came from �members of the
university community,� though specifics weren�t mentioned. �We are
continually seeking ways to develop and foster a campus environment in
which all members of our campus community feel supported and can thrive,�
Appalachian State spokesperson Megan Hayes told Teen Vogue. �Language and
terminology are important, and at App State, we strive to use language
that is supportive for multiple populations of our campus community we
serve in order to fulfill our mission and strategic plan.�

Some students also claim a previously scheduled Drag Trivia event was
canceled by administration, stirring up concerns when coupled with the
name change and employee terminations. Graduate Student Government
Association leaders condemned the university�s recent firing of staff
members who were also members of the university�s Queer & Trans Staff and
Faculty, a support group for LGBTQ+ staff and faculty members at
Appalachian State.

Hayes told Teen Vogue the drag trivia event was separate from Spring Fest
to begin with (initially scheduled for April 18) and wasn�t shut down by
the administration. �There was no orchestrated effort to remove a drag
show from Spring Fest,� Hayes said. Regarding the fired employees, Hayes
denied any efforts to fire employees that identify as LGBTQ+ to Inside
Higher Ed.

As of publication time, the university has not released a public statement
about Spring Fest, student pushback about the name, or other concerns
regarding the LGBTQ+ community. On Tuesday evening, the school�s vice
chancellor of student affairs said in an email to students that Spring
Fest was meant to affirm the LGBTQ+ community and school officials would
take feedback on the name into account for next year.

�They sent this knowing they had over a week between when this news broke
and this week, pride week, to reverse their decision,� Foster said.

Students begin speaking out
Within days of Spring Fest promotions beginning, Appalachian State�s
Graduate Student Government Association unanimously passed a resolution
denouncing the school�s �lack of support� for the LGBTQ+ community, and
committing to celebrating Pride Week, not �Spring Fest.�

�Pride Week sends a powerful message that the university is committed (not
just performatively, but in actuality) to diversity, inclusion, and social
justice,� the resolution said. �It is vital and demonstrates dedication to
creating a safe and supportive campus environment where every student can
thrive academically, socially, and personally.� The student leaders added
that by renaming Pride Week �Spring Fest,� the school was �hiding or even
denouncing� support for its LGBTQ+ community.

Student leaders with the Appalachian State College Democrats also released
a statement last week criticizing Spring Fest�s new name, calling it an
�assault� on freedom of speech and expression.

In a statement from Appalachian State�s Student Government Association,
student leaders acknowledged that rebranding the event came as a �double-
edged sword.�

�For some students, these events were the first spaces where their
identities were validated � Renaming them removes some of the
representation found in these spaces,� the SGA statement said.
�Simultaneously, the rebranding was done to protect these same students
from harsh and triggering environments.�

The SGA goes on to say that the burden shouldn�t be on students to
communicate changes occurring within school clubs and organizations. �The
Student Government Association believes that recent events on campus
demonstrate a need for increased transparency on behalf of the University
regarding policy changes and a need to ensure that individuals have a
comprehensive understanding of what decisions are being made and why,� the
statement said.

Now, as the week of events is underway, groups including the Appalachian
State College Democrats are hosting counter-programming and rallies to
uplift the school�s queer community. It comes as, across the country,
anti-DEI bills are surging in states with Republican lawmakers in charge,
largely targeting public colleges.

On Wednesday April 3, dozens of students gathered on a campus lawn � some
armed with signs that said things like �PRIDE is not a bad word� � in
solidarity. Students, including Foster, spoke.

�I feel silenced,� Foster said in his speech. �We feel silenced. This is
what the university I chose to go to has decided. I came here particularly
for the queer community. I came here because I believed I belonged.�

Anti-DEI laws surge across the country
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, at least 82 bills
threatening to roll back DEI efforts and trainings at colleges have been
introduced since last year in more than two dozen states. At least 12 have
become law. In some cases, there are reports of schools issuing changes to
their respective DEI departments and initiatives in anticipation of new
laws � before they even take effect. In Florida, state universities
shuttered their DEI programs and fired the departments� respective
employees as a result of anti-DEI laws. Similar laws also took effect in
North Dakota, Utah, and Tennessee in recent years.

As noted by the National Education Association, the bills are directly
impacting students of color, LGBTQ+ students and campus LGBTQ+ centers.
The populations targeted by the anti-DEI bills � students of color and
LGBTQ+ students � continue to need additional support on campus when it
comes to feeling prepared and adequately supported, both mentally and
financially, for a college career.