Pride Center

Welcome to the Dr. Patricia Robertson Pride Center

The Pride Center provides programming, campus resources, and educational training for ETSU students, faculty, staff, and community members.Under the umbrella of the Multicultural Center, we support the university’s mission and dedication to social justice efforts through programming, trainings, community outreach, and advocacy on ETSU's main campus and across the region. Attention to gender and sexual minority related inequities also requires addressing all aspects of inequality, including heterosexism, cissexism, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, ableism, and more.

On the website you will find resources and FAQ for gender and sexual minorities or anyone wishing to expand their knoweldge and understanding in this topic area. The '+' serves to include all other gender and sexually diverse identities.The purpose of these resources and FAQ are to provide access to campus, regional, and national resources as well as to serve as an educational access point for allies.

The Pride Center is located on the 2nd floor of the D.P. Culp Student Center and offers a space for gathering, programming, support and resources for LGBTQI+ students, faculty, staff, and allies. The Pride Center is a popular gathering spot for students of all backgrounds and it facilitates an area for dialogue, support, and inclusion.

About our namesake, Dr. Patricia Robertson:

Dr. Patricia Robertson began her social justice work when she was 19 years old – that is 50 years ago now. Her social justice interest started in high school but she didn’t really have a clear understanding of oppression and advocacy until she went to college and became committed to civil rights work around ethnicity and gender. In the early 80s that interest also became very grounded in lesbian and gay advocacy. She worked professionally and personally with gay men early in the AIDS epidemic, running small groups and working individually with the men and their families. From that time on, LGB and later LGBTQ advocacy has been a soul commitment.

At the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and East Tennessee State University, she has been involved in changing University policies to affirm and celebrate the presence of LGBT students and staff and to protect the rights of LGBT students and staff. A Diversity Leadership annual award is given in her honor at East Tennessee State University. This award recognizes the work of a faculty or staff member who is involved in inclusion work at the University. There is also a student who is involved in diversity work at the University who is recognized and is the recipient of the John C. Davis and Patricia E. Robertson scholarship.

Patricia has presented nationally, regionally and locally for decades on issues surrounding the LGBTQ community and has authored articles and created courses to expand knowledge, understanding and support. Her heart is clearly with the LGBTQIA community.

Dr. Robertson retired from East Tennessee State University where she was a professor and chair of the Department of Human Development and Learning. She continues her advocacy work and is teaching a course, Initial Understanding of LGBTQIA, at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Asheville, NC. She is also throwing pots, building totems and dancing her way through retirement.