Maricopa Community Colleges Celebrate Pride Month

June marks the annual worldwide observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month. The Maricopa Community Colleges are proud to join the global community in celebrating Pride Month. The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) has always been dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive environment that welcomes diversity among all employees and students. Let’s take a closer look at how MCCCD accomplishes this.

Preferred Pronouns and Names

As a higher education institution, MCCCD supports and promotes an inclusive and safe learning environment for all employees and students. MCCCD recognizes and honors that some students, faculty, and staff prefer to use different names and pronouns than those assigned at birth. By acknowledging the importance of respecting and supporting employees’ and students’ needs and preferences, everyone has the right to be themselves, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Furthermore, by embracing preferred pronouns and names, MCCCD is helping create a culture of respect and understanding.

Student Clubs and Organizations

Maricopa Community Colleges offer a welcoming and diverse environment for all students. Our clubs and organizations provide a safe space for LGBTQIA+ students to come together, make friends, and connect to a community that celebrates diversity and individual self expression. Through these clubs, our colleges strive to create a safe, supportive, and affirming environment for everyone. If you want to join this incredible network, check out your college’s website.

Equality Maricopa

Established in 2006, Equality Maricopa is a dynamic group of Maricopa Community Colleges employees who identify as LGBTQIA+ and allies. Through unwavering advocacy and support for LGBTQIA+ employees and students, Equity Maricopa upholds the universal right to human dignity, freedom, and equality of all people, without discrimination, exclusion, restriction, and preference-based status decision-making. 

With Indiana and Maryland as the only two states with LGBTQIA+ license plates, Equality Maricopa is fundraising to launch the first-of-its-kind LGBTQIA+ Arizona license plate. Arizona law requires non-profit organizations to raise $32,000 to cover production costs. Once the funds are raised, the plate will be submitted to the state for approval. Equality Maricopa is working with Representative Lorena Austin and Representative Analise Ortiz to draft legislation for the license plate. Once passed by the Arizona legislature, $17 from the $25 fee will benefit MCCCD LGBTQIA+ students through the PRISM Scholarship. Additionally, you can donate to help Arizona be the third state in the United States to offer the LGBTQIA+ plate.

PRISM Scholarship

In 2021, the PRISM Scholarship was established by Equality Maricopa with the support of the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (MCCF) to increase the educational accessibility of LGBTQIA+ students and break down barriers they may encounter on their journey to pursue higher education. Since its creation, Equity Maricopa and MCCF have raised $23,000 through the PRISM Scholarship and awarded three scholarships to students from our ten colleges. You can directly impact the lives of Maricopa Community Colleges LGBTQIA+ students by donating to the PRISM Scholarship Fund here. To apply for scholarships, visit MCCF’s website.

At MCCCD, we believe in creating a supportive, diverse, and inclusive environment for all our employees and students by fostering a culture of respect and understanding, providing safe spaces, promoting education, and academic excellence. This year, as we celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, we encourage our students, employees, and community to join us in learning, raising awareness, and embracing diversity. By doing this, we hope to foster a culture of acceptance, tolerance, and a sense of belonging for everyone.