“Our differences make the Eastern community strong,” said LaMar Coleman, vice president of the Office of Equity and Diversity, as he welcomed local high school students to the second annual QUTE Conference--QUTE stands for "Living a Queer, Unapologetic, Thoughtful Existence." The event, held on March 7, invited prospective students to connect with other LGBTQ+ youth and explore related resources available at Eastern.

Inspired by the "TrueColors" annual event at UConn, the QUTE Conference provides students with a safe space to learn, engage, and build community. “TrueColors was gone for a long time due to COVID,” said Arden Parzych ’24, the event’s creator and presenter. They explained that growing up in a small town in Connecticut, they felt they lacked a connection to the LGBTQ+ community and wanted to help build that bridge for others.

“I really saw the need for the high school students to have that connection. I never had that growing up,” they said. “We’re really happy to see them come up again this year.”

The conference centered on “empowerment, connection, and growth within the LGBTQ+ community,” said Pride Center Graduate Intern Rachel Betts. “The conference was designed to provide access to inclusive resources that foster personal development, self-love, and meaningful connections with others.”

Nicole Potestivo, Pride Center coordinator, expressed gratitude for the event’s success. “The energy that folks came in with tells me that we’re doing our part for our local community,” she said.

During his welcome address to the students, Coleman introduced the concept of intersectionality, which posits that individuals are shaped by multiple, intersecting identities including age, ethnicity, race, and economic background.

He illustrated intersectionality as the threads in a fabric. The fabric becomes stronger the more threads, or identities, weave and intersect. “With all of these intersects, you have a very strong ‘piece of fabric,’ as I like to call it,” said Coleman. “When you have all of these intersects, that is a much stronger piece of material than if you just have one.”

Following Coleman’s remarks, Parzych led a workshop titled “Self-Care and Radical Self-Love,” where students explored and developed various aspects of self-care and self-love. The workshop focused on topics such as setting boundaries and the eight dimensions of self-care – physical, mental, environmental, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, social, and financial. “Boundaries are important for every relationship, including your relationship with yourself,” said Parzych.

After the workshop, students transitioned to a panel featuring Eastern students who shared their experiences as LGBTQ+ college students. The discussion covered topics such as chosen family and community.

“Family is definitely what you make of it,” said Pride Center Student Ambassador Nazariah Isaac, a sophomore double majoring in English and communication, film, and theatre. She spoke about her strong relationships with both relatives and people she’s met at Eastern, highlighting the Pride Center’s role in her new connections. “Everyone in the Pride Center is so welcoming,” she said.

The QUTE Conference concluded with lunch at Hurley Hall, followed by a college application discussion with Admissions Counselor Brandon Martins and closing remarks. Students were also invited to attend “Pride Center Celebrates,” a monthly event held by the Pride Center focused on community building and connection.