The city of Durham, along with many from the Duke Health community, came together to celebrate inclusion, community, family, pride, and advocacy at Pride: Durham, NC 2024. Duke Health was a presenting sponsor of the event, which was held September 28-29.
The festivities held in downtown Durham on Saturday included performances, food trucks, and a pop-up market featuring numerous vendors. A total of 13 units from Duke Health participated in the pop-up market.
Attendees had the opportunity to visit the Duke Health booths to learn about many services and resources available to the LGBTQ+ community, including Duke Gender Care, gender-affirming voice therapy, and the Duke PrEP Clinic for HIV Prevention.
A parade and community kickback were held on Duke’s East Campus on Sunday.
While Pride Month is commemorated in June across the world to promote equal justice and equal opportunity for LGBTQ+ Americans, the city of Durham sponsors additional celebrations in September.
The theme of this year’s two-day festival was “Give Them Their Flowers” to honor and celebrate the courage and leadership of Durham’s transgender and nonbinary communities.
“This weekend’s Pride celebrations – held both on and off Duke’s campus – were a joyful celebration of the vibrant LGBTQI+ community members, family, and allies we have at Duke and in Durham,” said Dane Whicker, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of gender and sexual diversity initiatives at the School of Medicine.
“I’m inspired by the strength and unity of our LGBTQI+ community. Together, we continue to pave the way for a kinder and more inclusive world.”
