Unity Through Diversity Week 2023 was a week-long series of interactive activities, panels, workshops, and a film and discussion to celebrate Highline’s diversified community of races, genders, classes, sexual orientations, abilities, and religions.
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Galactic Molasses, one of two drag queens to perform, during her first performance.
One of this week’s events came from former student Alycia Williams who presented a workshop on leadership, love, and community through panels and workshops for students to discuss the role of being a leader.
Last Friday, the Center for Leadership and Service also had the Pink Prom as a fun and celebratory event for the Highline community to come out and enjoy music, dancing, and incredible drag performances.
It is the tradition of “Queer Proms” held at many colleges across the country, in order to provide a safe and fun environment for students who may not have had the chance to safely attend their proms as their true selves.
Pink Prom was put on by the LGBTQIA+ Task Force and the Q Center group, and the Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence, with support from Central Washington University.
The LGBTQIA+ Task Force is an action-oriented committee dedicated to LGBTQIA+ issues on campus, consisting of staff and faculty members at Highline. They also continue to facilitate conversations on campus around LGBTQIA+ issues and strive to provide safe zones training for staff, faculty, and students.
The Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence provides transformative leadership in creating a learning environment that is equitable, inclusive, and celebrates all identities.
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Galactic Molasses during her second performance, “Runaway Bride.”
The Pink Prom featured DJ Mike Baskett, and performances from several drag performers, such as Galactic Molasses and Caesar Hart.
“The drag queen Galactic Molasses, who you may remember from our Queeraoke event earlier this year in LGBTQIA+ Week, will be hosting the event and performing a couple numbers. Drag king Caesar Hart performed a couple numbers, and he is returning to Highline after having performed at previous Pink Proms many years ago. Drag is an amazing art form, and we are excited to have these performers on our campus,” said Kenton Westerfield, an entry advisor at Highline and a member of the LGBTQIA+ Task Force.
Galactic Molasses also expressed her gratitude about her time at Highline and the group of people who were able to make this event possible.
“It is lovely, Highline is wonderful. Because Highline creates opportunities to support LGBTQ+ Community!” she said. “Love each other, appreciate each other, and don’t forget to have fun.”
One thing that made this event very special is that this was the first Pink Prom to be held at Highline in many years. It used to be an annual event, but stopped happening around 10 years ago because it didn’t get enough attention.
“My best guess is that the folks who were running it at the time got too busy and were not able to offer it anymore. With the new energy on campus for LGBTQIA+ support and activities from the Q Center group, we hope that we can keep Pink Prom running every year moving forward,” said Westerfield.
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“Everything Everywhere All At Once,” a brilliant Chinese-American film, plays at a Unity Week event.
Unity Week holds a different meaning for everyone. One Highline student said it was one way to celebrate who they are and the diversified community we have on campus as a whole.
“To me, Unity Week means recognizing and celebrating every kind of person that comes to Highline. It’s a fact that Highline is diverse, but it also makes a point of celebrating and creating space for all kinds of people as a community, cultivating such a welcoming place where students want to be here,” Highline student Bri Maxted said.
Maxted adds to this by talking about what they learned at one of the events for Unity Through Diversity Week 2023.
“I was only able to attend one event [“What story do you have the moral responsibility to tell?” with Christian Paige] and I really enjoyed it. It was a very welcoming, casual event and I drew a lot from what Paige had to say that I’m still thinking about,” Maxted said.
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Halfway through the movie there was a moving discussion to break down the film.
Faculty member in the Communication Studies department, Laura Manning, said this year’s Unity Through Diversity Week was to acknowledge students and their role at Highline.
“We are in this together giving back to the community, and giving back to yourself, our goal was to really help students and everyone recognize they are part of so many communities and that everyone of us is a leader in these communities whether named a leader or not. And I really think this week was successful one,” Manning said.
For more information on the week-long series and events, you may click the link here: 26th Annual Unity Through Diversity Week 2023.
