In honor of Pride Month, UNF students and staff continue to reflect on the university’s queer history and the legacy of the now-closed LGBTQ Center.
Manny Velasquez-Paredes, the former director of UNF’s LGBTQ Center, played a key role in shaping the center’s mission and presence on campus between 2020-2024. During his time as director and in his current role as Director of Career Education, he worked to create a safe and visible space for LGBTQ students, advocating for education, inclusion and community.
The LGBTQ Center was founded in 2006 and started out as a small office located in a closet. According to Velasquez-Paredes, the center was created after a questionnaire was sent out asking students how safe it was on campus for the LGBTQ community; it found that students felt left out, unseen and unheard.
“I was actually warned that there were always going to be people who were not thrilled that the center was on campus, and they would make my life difficult,” said Velasquez-Paredes. “But I can honestly say I never had any issues. It was a nice experience for me, and I enjoyed every second of it.”
The center succeeded in educating the UNF community and allowed them to build strong relationships, according to Velasquez-Paredes. He said students finally felt comfortable voicing concerns to peers, faculty and staff so they could be properly addressed.
Velasquez-Paredes recalled one of his most memorable moments during his time at the LGBTQ Center: organizing a coming out event in October 2021.
The center planned a celebration in the Student Union plaza, complete with vendors and a pride march. Just hours before the event started, the center received threats on one of its social media pages. Velasquez-Paredes said he quickly notified university administration and for safety reasons, the pride march was canceled. The event was rescheduled and limited to the plaza, where campus police could more easily monitor the area and provide support if needed.
“We had to be louder and gayer than ever, because we needed to do it for students,” said Velasquez-Paredes, about the coming out event.
“I am thrilled that Pride Club has taken on so many of the efforts that the LGBTQ Center was doing. They feel the need to do more to keep these students safe and engaged. I am hopeful that students are taking their lives into their own hands and controlling the narrative for themselves and future students to let them know this is a safe space,” said Velasquez-Paredes.
Meghan McGowan, the treasurer of UNF’s Pride Club, said that since the closing of the LGBTQ Center, they have witnessed homophobia and “very pointed words” directed at students.
“We’re still working on taking on the responsibilities that the center used to have,” said McGowan.
McGowan said that Pride Club is more present on campus than in previous years, and works together with many organizations to create safe spaces for the LGBTQ community.
“In the art department, I feel very safe,” McGowan said. “But we’re working on visibility within the rest of the university. We deserve more recognition.”
In January, Pride Club officially became a commission in Student Government. Commissions are considered a part of Student Government’s annual Activity and Service fee budget, so Student Government is able to fund Pride Club, without violating the state laws that led to the closure of the LGBTQ Center.
“Pride club is for everyone, not just for LGBTQ people. Allies are also welcome,” said McGowan.
“It’s about visibility. It’s about education and visibility. It’s about us wanting to be heard as human beings and be seen as human beings,” said Velasquez-Paredes.
UNF, Jacksonville and national LGBTQ+ resources
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