By Foster Conner
Page Editor
Founded in 2021, Amarillo College Pride was created to provide a safe space for students and community members alike. The club is an LGBTQ+ organization that primarily provides resources for anyone within the community who needs it.
The group works to welcome all identities, genders and sexualities, all the while providing a safe space to express who a student is without judgment or hostility. After the spring semester of 2024, the club faced challenges with maintaining membership. However, as of fall 2024, the groundwork to rebuild this club back up on campus was laid. AC Pride has grown to 41 members and is working towards having many events and fundraisers focused on education and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.
“We hope to raise awareness around LGBTQ+ health topics like PrEP,” Zachary Vidaurri, a business administration major said. “We can possibly organize creative demonstrations that engage the community in a meaningful, thought-provoking way that can help spark real change.”
Bobbie White, the current president of AC Pride and a mass media major, took on the role in the fall semester of 2024 and said she is hard at work advocating for the community. “AC Pride is a place where no one has to feel alone,” White said. “It’s a welcoming community that brings people together to learn from and support one another, no matter where they are in their journey.”
Members of the club, such as Vidaurri, said they found a community that represents who they are. “Not everyone has a supportive community outside of school,” Vidaurri said. “It’s a space where people can connect, share experiences and know they’re not alone.”
Members said they feel the community has an important role to play in its re-establishment. “AC pride is important because college is a time and place for self-realization and that right to discovery should be protected,” Abaddon Trent, theatre arts major, said. “The people deserve to have that space.”
While their presence continues to grow, the club continues to come up with ideas for awareness and presence. “I believe it’s important to focus on coping mechanisms,” Trent said. “To be able to juggle school, work life and trying to function while living as themselves.”
The members hope to use events and fundraisers as a way to bring about understanding. “It’s crucial we work towards a campus where everyone is treated fairly, feels represented and is safe from discrimination,” Vidaurri said.
Next month, AC Pride will be joining the Hispanic Student Association in celebration of Mardi Gras with food trucks and beads. The club believes working with other organizations is important for their future goals. “We want to be seen for who we truly are,” White said. “Not fragile, not looking for special treatment, but strong and unshakeable.”
AC Pride meets the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 11:45 in Parcell’s Hall, Room 214.
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