Join Us in Supporting Oxford Pride 2025

While all Pride events will take place as scheduled, university leadership has directed the Sarah Isom Center and other university entities to step back from their institutional involvement with the 2025 Oxford Pride Parade, while they study the new HB 1193 law and await guidance from IHL on how we can continue to support everyone in our campus. The student group Outgrads and UM PRIDE Network are now the organizers of the Pride parade.

This last-minute change has brought some logistical challenges. We ask our community for help with three things:

Vehicles in the parade. University leadership has informed parade organizers that no university resources can be used to support the parade, including university golf carts. This is a challenge, since we have used borrowed golf carts to help parade attendees who have mobility issues or who require assistance during the parade. If you know anyone with a golf cart, convertible, or truck with a trailer (safe to transport people) who might be willing to join the parade or let Outgrads and UM PRIDE Network borrow their vehicle, please let us know.

Resources for Oxford Pride Week. University leadership has also informed us that no university accounts may be used to support Oxford Pride Week. Therefore, we have created this GoFundMe for people who want to help financially.

Participation in Pride. UM student groups may organize and march, and individual members of UM faculty and staff may march, but the university has advised that no department, school, division, college, or center may march as an official university group in the parade. We are concerned about the effect this last-minute change may have on our LGBTQ+ students. We invite any community group and all interested faculty, staff, and students to join Outgrads, UM PRIDE Network and the community on Saturday, May 3, either to march or to cheer on the Square. That support can make a big difference with queer youth.

Please share widely. Thank you for your help in this transition.