2026-2027 Academic Year

To sign up for any of our events, please register on our URInvolved page!

2026/27 GSC SMALL GROUPS

Sapphic Book Club: Mondays (Weekly) from 6-7PM at the GSC.
Intergenerational Pen Pal Program: Tuesdays (Biweekly) from 6-7PM at the GSC.
GSC Craft Club: Wednesdays (Weekly) from 6-7PM at the GSC.
QTBIPOC Empowerment Group: Thursdays (Biweekly) from 6:15-7:15PM at the GSC.

SEPTEMBER 2026

The 15th Annual Big Gay BBQ

Wednesday, September 9th, 2026
Memorial Union Ballroom | 4-6PM
Join us for the 15th Annual Big Gay BBQ, our annual welcome-back celebration bringing together students, staff, faculty, campus partners, and community members. This year’s theme, Find Your Place: Belong Boldly, celebrates Rhody Pride, connection, and belonging at URI. Enjoy food, music, games, activities, and drag performances while connecting with others and discovering campus resources. Come celebrate the start of a new year and find your place in the Rhody Community! All are welcome.
To attend, please register here.

GSC Fall Open House

Monday, September 14th, 2026
Gender & Sexuality Center | 4-6PM
We invite you to tour our facilities and meet our staff. Come explore our newly updated spaces, including the Community Care Closet, and enjoy an interactive scavenger hunt and sweet treats. We can’t wait to see you and share all the exciting things happening here! All are welcome to attend.
To attend, please register here.

OCTOBER 2026

Coming Out Week

October 5th-9th, 2026
Join us for Coming Out Week, a week-long series of educational and community events celebrating the lifelong process of coming out. Explore resources, connect with others, hear from keynote speakers, and show your RHODY PRIDE! Highlights include a Rainbow Door display and our GSC National Coming Out Day Resource Fair on the Quad, featuring campus departments and community organizations. All are Welcome to Attend.

Rocky Horror Picture Show with RKO Army

Friday, October 30th, 2026
Edwards Auditorium | 8- 10 PM (Doors open at 7:30 pm)
Join us as we do the time warp again! The URI Gender & Sexuality Center is proud to present a Halloweekend production of the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show, presented by RKO Army! All are welcome.
To attend, please register here.

NOVEMBER 2026

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Friday, November 20th, 2026
Gender & Sexuality Center
Join us for Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) as we come together to honor the lives we lost to acts of gender-based violence. This is an event to inspire reflection, remembrance, advocacy, and solidarity for the transgender community. All are welcome to attend.

FEBRUARY 2027

GSC in Bloom Spring Open House

Monday, February 1st, 2027
More info coming soon!

QTBIPOC Black History Month Gala

Thursday, February 25th, 2027
Gender and Sexuality Center
The Queer & Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) Black History Month Gala celebrates the intersecting identities, experiences, and contributions of queer and trans people of color. Each year, the Gala features a new theme that honors the resilience, challenges, and achievements of these communities. Join us for an inspiring evening of celebration, reflection, and connection as we come together to recognize QTBIPOC voices and continue building for a more inclusive, supportive, and vibrant community. All are welcome to attend.

MARCH 2027

The Vagina Monologues

Saturday, March 6th, 2027
Edwards Auditorium
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler designed to build community among women, de-stigmatize speaking of vaginas, and raise money to help support the URI Women’s Center and Gender & Sexuality Center in fostering a community where all individuals feel valued and safe to be themselves. All are welcome to attend.

The LGBTQIA2S+ Symposium

Tuesday, March 30th-Wednesday, March 31st, 2027
The annual LGBTQIA2S+ Symposium brings students, faculty, staff, scholars, and community members together for workshops, panels, presentations, and conversations exploring the history, experiences, research, and contemporary issues affecting LGBTQIA2S+ communities. For more than three decades, the symposium has provided a space for learning, dialogue, scholarship, and community-building at URI and throughout Rhode Island. Call for proposals coming soon! All are welcome.

APRIL 2027

Queer Prom

Friday, April 9th, 2027
Gender and Sexuality Center
Get ready to slay the night at our Queer Prom, an inclusive celebration featuring a local DJ. Queer Prom offers a joyful space for self-expression, connection, and identity affirmation. Open to all, we invite the entire community to come together and experience the power of love, liberation, and unity. All are welcome to attend.

Lavender Graduation

Thursday, April 15, 2027
Lavender Graduation is a special celebration honoring the achievements, experiences, and journeys of LGBTQIA2S+ graduates and allies of all genders and sexualities. Join us as we celebrate our graduates and the communities that supported them, featuring special guests and performances. Registration coming soon! All are welcome.

JUNE 2027

Pride Barbequeer Luncheon

Tuesday, June 1st, 2027
Helen Mosby Center – Graduate School of Oceanography
Celebrate Rhody pride in style at the Gender & Sexuality Center’s annual Pride Barbequeer! This year, our popular laid-back luncheon cookout will be hosted at the Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) in the Mosby Center. What better way to celebrate community and allyship than with a beautiful view of the bay? With friends and food aplenty, this event is a great way to stay connected to the University of Rhode Island during the summer. All are welcome to attend.