The annual Queer Week is happening from Oct. 5-11 at Chico State. The Gender and Sexuality Equity Center, the Stonewall Alliance and the university collaborated together to put on the events.

Sarena Kirk, senior women’s studies and sociology major and LGBTQ+ program coordinator for the Gender and Sexuality Equity Center, helped with the planning process and execution of the week’s events.

“One of the special things about Queer Week is that it is collaboration between lots of different campus groups and outside organizations,” Kirk said. “So it is a time for students to really find out about all of the different resources and things going on in the LGBTQ+ community in terms of outreach, education and celebration.”

She also discussed the theme of Queer Week, ‘What does queer mean to you?’, which was chosen by the LGBTQ+ interns and some of the campus’ faculty.

“The reason that we chose this is, while queer can be a very powerful and politicized term not everybody is on the same page about it,” Kirk said. “There’s definitely been reclamation of the word queer from a derogatory term to one that empowers.”

The events are open for anyone to get involved in, she said.

“Not everybody, even people within the LGBTQ+ community, may claim the term queer,” Kirk said. “But everybody can come together and show their support and get more educated on these issues.”

Events happening during Queer Week:

Saturday, Oct. 5: Focus Film Festival will be showing “Valentine Road” and “Spacious Sky” at 6:30 p.m. in Colusa Hall.

Monday, Oct. 7: “What does queer mean to you?” panel at 6 p.m. in the Cross Cultural Leadership Center.

Tuesday, Oct 8: An information tabling fair from 6-8 p.m. outside of Sutter Dining. There will also be tie-dying on the Shasta/Lassen Lawn from 6-8 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 9: An information tabling fair and photo booth from 10-2 p.m. in Trinity Commons. There is also a film, “The Bible Tells Me So”, being shown at the UHUB at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 10: There is a ‘Step Into The Closet’ interactive exhibit from 10-2 p.m. at Trinity Commons, Safe Zone Training at Studio A in the Meriam Library from 11-1 p.m. and a discussion called “LGBTQ+ 101” in the Cross Cultural Leadership Center at 4 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 11: Pride March at 5 p.m. at the Trinity Commons. From 6-11 p.m. there is also the Coming Out for Art Show at the 100th Monkey Café and Books.

A full list of events is available on this Facebook page.

Lindsay Pincus can be reached at [email protected] or @lindsaypincus on Twitter