UNH Today

UNH held its 31st annual Pride and Pancakes breakfast Tuesday morning, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community as part of the university’s Pride Month 2024 festivities. The event featured a keynote speech from Rev. Heidi Carrington Heath, executive director of Seacoast Outright, and honored the recipients of this year’s Bill Kidder LGBTQIA+ Awards.

The celebration – formerly known as the LGBTQ+ and Ally Pancake Breakfast – was held in the Granite State Room in the MUB and was streamed online for additional virtual attendees. It is just one of several events UNH has planned as part of its Pride Month 2024 celebration throughout April, including the 2024 Kidder Lecture featuring Tona Brown, which will be held April 18.

Nadine Petty, chief diversity officer and associate vice president at UNH, welcomed the audience to the pancake breakfast with a message on inclusion and community that set the tone for the morning, signaling the hope “no matter how we identify, that we live in this world as our true selves.”

That theme would very much carry through in Carrington Heath’s address, as well. She began by thanking Cari Moorhead – retiring dean of the UNH Graduate School – for the critical role she played in the formation of Seacoast Outright, before recognizing the significance of the breakfast itself and the work being done at UNH.

“Spaces that celebrate the joy and the beauty of LGBTQ+ community are more important than they’ve ever been in New Hampshire,” she said.

To that end, she noted several bills related to queer and trans youth that have been or will be heard at the New Hampshire State House during this legislative season, and encouraged the audience members to fight for issues they feel passionately about – offering a few “concrete action steps,” including organize and activate, speak up and speak out, show up, and seed and nurture support.

“If you are here today, you are already doing arguably the most important thing – you are building your muscles of hope,” Carrington Heath said.

Following the announcement of the Kidder Award winners, the closing address was delivered by Yashwant Prakash Vyas, director of UNH’s Aulbani J. Beauregard Center for Equity, Justice, and Freedom.

2024 Kidder Award Recipients

Pink Triangle Award: Child Study and Development Center (CSDC)

For deep commitment, as a fully engaged team and teaching staff, to ongoing social justice education and advocacy. Some examples include: 2+ year full-staff social justice education journey, incorporating anti-bias curriculum within the HDFS program, and expanding access to inclusive children’s literature within the center.

Faculty Award: Charli Valdez

**Received by the women’s and gender studies chair, Robin Hackett, on his behalf

For prioritizing inclusion and social justice through the intersectional academic lenses of LGBTQIA+ perspectives, feminist theories and contemporary American literature, leading to regular student requests to exceed registration capacity and collegial requests for academic collaboration.

Staff Award: Kate Gladstone

For imbuing LGBTQIA+ advocacy into prevention education at UNH, including: creation of “Spotlight on Healthy Queer Relationships” training, co-chairing Research Fieldwork Safety Committee, and creating safe spaces where heteronormativity, homophobia and transphobia can be explored respectfully and impactfully.

Graduate Student Award: Hannah O’Connor

For incorporating LGBTQIA+ advocacy into the social work internship at a local older adult residential community. The methods utilized included: modeling inclusive language, facilitating allyship trainings, inviting local LGBTQIA+ leaders in to speak with residents, and reviewing policies and procedures to ensure greater equity and inclusion.

Undergraduate Student Award: Lex

For consistent support of LGBTQIA+ visibility and advocacy within the UNH community, including: stepping up to lead Alliance during the COVID-19 pandemic, advocacy efforts to move the Alliance office to a more visible space within the MUB, and voicing LGBTQIA+ student concerns to senior leadership which resulted in rigorous policy review and numerous recommendations.

Undergraduate Student Award: Allison Duseau

For intersectional work related to LGBTQIA+ advocacy and well-being through a number of avenues, including: modeling inclusive language and practices within H&W internship cohort, creating and delivering trainings such as, “Substance Use and the LGBTQIA+ Community”, and consistent SafeZones facilitation throughout program transitions.