Pride Place

What is Pride Place?

Pride Place is a residential community focused on the personal wellness and academic success of students of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We envision a housing community in which every LGBTQ+ student feels safe, included, and empowered. Residents will learn about the LGBTQ+ community and its many intersections, build relationships, and actively engage in the community.

Who can join Pride Place?

Residents are able to join Pride Place regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Those interested should apply through the UNC Housing Portal for consideration.

What is the advantage of joining Pride Place?

This goal of this residential learning program is to provide residents with a space to feel safe and empowered through their sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. With this foundation, residents can form meaningful relationships with others in their community and will find connections to other related organizations and campus resources. Residents will learn about a variety of educational topics surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, participate in community outreach, share their passions and backgrounds, and promote LGBTQ+ awareness across campus.

Pride Place is structured on four pillars that serve as the guiding principles and commitments for the community to provide residents. These pillars include:

• Community Development
• Public Service and Advocacy
• Identity Exploration and Empowerment
• Diversity, Multiculturalism, and Intersectionality

What is involved in being a member of Pride Place?

If you are accepted into this program, you will be expected to attend Pride Place meetings and participate in discussions on a variety of topics. These meetings and discussions provide education to residents in three main ways:

• Identity and Value Formation
  • Increasing understanding of self through critical reflection of identities, beliefs, and values
  • Acknowledging and understanding themselves as an important component in larger communities and social systems
  • Exploring their own identities and cultures while acknowledging the perspectives and biases they may hold
• Cultural Competency
  • Discovering the differences and intersections which may exist between diverse groups of people
  • Appreciating and respecting cultural differences and similarities among diverse groups
  • Acquiring sufficient understanding and knowledge about systems of privilege and social power
• Communication
  • Learning to practice open and honest discussion regularly to build healthy personal and professional relationships
  • Becoming confident in leading and facilitating conversations on topics like diversity while remaining sensitive to all perspectives

Additionally, members are expected to follow the Pride Place community guidelines. These guidelines are updated every year and are intended to keep Pride Place residents safe while providing them opportunities to voice their opinions, embrace their passions, and explore new aspects of the LGBTQ+ community.

Who can I contact for more information?

Brianna Horton, Connor Community Director, bhorton@email.unc.edu [4]