By Hannah Doolin
On Friday, March 25, the Pride Club, in tandem with the Poetry Club, Songwriters Club, The Un-Coffee House, and Southern Virginia University Music Industry Department sponsored “Amor: LGBTQ+ Voices Night.”
The event was a platform for LGBTQ+ voices to be heard, whether that was through the spoken word or musical expression.
The title of the event, “Amor,” references the Virgil quote: “Love is the same for all.” Virgil was an ancient Roman poet who had a large influence on Western literature. He is most famously known for his epic poem, The Aeneid. In The Eclogues, Virgil writes to “Alexis,” who is actually a man named Alexander. It is said that Virgil loved Alexander.
Jonathan Dye (‘22), the president of the Pride Club, explains, “‘Amor’ came about because we wanted to celebrate LGBTQ+ poets and musicians, both on campus and throughout history. Until recently, many such artists were forced to hide their sexuality or punished because of it due to societal homophobia. As the world increasingly realizes the value and validity of queer people, society has begun to confront the fact that huge amounts of poetry and prose owe their creation to LGBTQ+ people.
Additionally, LGBTQ+ people themselves often turn to art as a form of valuable self-expression and comfort. “Amor” was a way for SVU to celebrate the value of queer voices at both the individual and societal levels — what poetry and songs mean for us as individuals and the way they can shape society at large.”
Dye adds, “Artistic expression has always meant a lot to the LGBTQ+ community. In many ways, art is one of the most powerful and enduring forms of expression there is, and has been critical to almost every minority community in history. There’s just something about art that carries more meaning than words alone — and it’s that meaning that truly fosters change.”
At the Amor event, there was a variety of artistic expression, such as spoken word, piano pieces, and vocal performances:
Brought Home a Girl, Haven Ritz, they/she/he
Shame, Mynesha Burrell, she/her
The Seasons: June by Tchaikovsky, Jonathan Dye, he/him
The Seasons: October by Tchaikovsky, Emma Miller, she/her
What does the “A” stand for?, Julia Evans, she/her
People needed to be perfect, Rae Goodfellow, they/them
A Doe, Cassy Miller, she/her
The Joke by Brandi Carilile, Melissa Wheeler, she/her
The Beast and See Me, Linus, he/they
Sha(me)less, Mynesha Burrell, she/her
Longing, Madelyn Hahn, she/her
Ego Sum translates to I Am, Ash Mullis, they/she
The Palm Reading, Haven Ritz, they/she/he
Last Night the Rain Spoke to Me by Mary Oliver, Julia Evans, she/her
Wish You Love, Jason Deere, he/him
Haven Ritz (‘24), a member of the Pride Club and performer in “Amor,” says,
“Pride club has always been one of the best parts of SVU for me. It’s a home away from home, and there’s such a strong bond between members that’s like a second family.
Knowing that I have a community here to support me makes all the difference. I’ve been told by some to keep my sexuality hidden, so being able to find my voice and share my experiences through poetry is new and a little scary, but also so exciting. I finally get to share this part of me with others and all the positive reactions to my work remind me how far we’ve come and how much further we can go. I always get a little emotional when I think about it.”
Dye concludes, “‘Amor’ meant a lot to me, as a gay person who has been on campus for several years now. Seeing an event so wholeheartedly embrace queer experiences was amazing. Real progress is being made here.”
Continuing, Dye says, “Pride Club has consistently been growing, and ‘Amor’ was a testimony to that. Our members were able to see just how strong our community is, how much we have endured, and how much [we] are loved and valued.”
Interested in learning more about the Pride Club? Check out their Instagram and their information page!
Amor: LGBTQ+ Voices Night was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.