AU celebrates LGBTQ+ students at Jaguar Pride 2024

By Tyliyah Mosley | Staff Writer

Augusta University celebrated LGBTQ+ students at Jag Pride in the JSAC Courtyard on Monday, Oct. 14.

Newly rebranded, the Jag Pride event “intentionally corresponds” with LGBTQ+ History Month, said MSE Coordinator Victoria Johnson.  

“We just want to be able to support our students since Pride is normally in the summer,” Johnson said.

 Victoria Johnson is the Multicultural Student Engagement Office programming coordinator. She is in charge of all events and different programming initiatives of different offices on campus. 

Previously called “Mini Pride,” this event was originally managed by AU’s gay-straight alliance club, Lambda with the support of MSE. It was just last year when MSE took a larger role and investment in this event with the goal to “uplift the voice of our LGBTQ students and make them feel seen and heard,” said Johnson. 

This year the organizations decided to make Jag Pride bigger with more elements to the celebratory and all-inclusive event. 

Reverend Nic Filzen, Lead Minister of the Unitarian Universalism Church of Augusta, said that the church has been “affirming of LGBTQIA folks across the spectrum forever”. 

Heavily involved with Pride parades across the nation and internationally, Unitarian Universalist Church believes deeply that “every part of who we are is scared and whole,” he said on behalf of the church. 

“We are here to let students know we got their back here in Augusta,” he said. 

The church’s strong belief in the democratic process influenced Filzen’s intentions when he came to campus. 

“Today we’re actually asking folks what their voting plan is,” Filzen said. “I think at the end of the day, policy is what protects us the most, and we have to be engaged with that process much as possible to ensure that our rights are protected.”

Coming from a smaller, more conservative town than Augusta, student Evren Smith said that coming to AU has made them feel more comfortable in their identity as a queer person. 

“Seeing other people with my flags, pins on their bookbags, or just at events like this really helps me.” 

“Here I get to just be who I am which is great,” they acclaimed. 

Temmie Siebert, currently studying biology, is a nonbinary queer person and the President of Lamda at AU. 

According to Siebert, the Lambda alliance on campus became inactive for some time and “revived last semester, thanks to Lina Bracci,” who is the founder of AU’s Lambda. Siebert learned a lot as treasurer in the previous year and is proud to have been democratically decided as President by the members last year.

“I’ve definitely found a home knowing that there are other people like me my age that have similar interests other than being queer.”, they said. 

As a casual social organization, Lambda meets every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the new MSE commons for hangouts and fun conversations. 

For more information visit the MSE page and the Lambda Instagram. 

Contact Tyliyah Mosley at tymosley@augusta.edu

Photo at the top of the page: (from left) Victoria Johnson and Tyliyah Mosley attending the Jaguar Pride event.