Villanova’s annual Pride Week kicked off on Monday, April 20, celebrating with an array of events.

This week commemorates the University’s LGBTQ+ community and their allies and celebrate LGBTQ+ culture at Villanova.

The week will start with a T-shirt giveaway and tie-dye. 

This year’s t-shirt features the slogan “Protect the Dolls,” originally popularized by designer Conner Ives at London Fashion Week in Feb 2025 to advocate for the safety, rights of transgender women and to celebrate transgender people. 

This event took place from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday at the Oreo.

Tuesday’s event was Drag Bingo, from 6-7 p.m. in Corr Hall. 

This program welcomed Ophelia Bawdy, a Philadelphia-local drag queen. 

Reily Brown, a senior and the president of VUPride, shared the importance of the night. 

“My favorite event is always drag bingo,” Brown said. “Personally, I think it’s very nice to have an outside queer rep, especially from an older generation. Ophelia is an adult, and she visits different Philly schools, so it’s nice to have that outside connection and get good food and play some games.”

Noelle Barczak, a member of the VU Pride executive board, also spoke on the Drag bingo event and the widespread popularity of it on campus.

“Ophelia is very talented, and drag bingo is usually a really big hit,” Barczak said. “Drag is a good celebration of how gender is flexible and doesn’t have to be in the binary it is often presented as.” 

The week will continue with a collaboration between VU Pride and Point of Pride. 

The Point of Pride organization works to remove financial burdens to gender-affirming care, including supplying chest binders to individuals who cannot afford them. 

During the VU Pride collaboration, participants will pack binders and help Point of Pride provide them to people in need. 

This event will take place in Corr Hall from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday. 

Thursday’s event is a collaboration with Falvey Library’s “The Free Store,” during which participants can repurpose old t-shirts into tote bags and commemorate Earth Day. 

This event will take place in “The Free Store”, located in the Falvey basement, from 4-6 p.m. 

The week will end with VU Pride’s annual “Gayla,” also known as “Gay Prom.” 

This event invites all individuals at Villanova, both LGBTQ+ community members and their allies, to Dundale Hall on West Campus. 

Tickets are 15 dollars, and the event will feature food from Jin Ding, a Chinese restaurant. 

Brown shared this event’s importance to members both within and outside the queer community. 

“It’s one of the few campus events where I felt comfortable enough to bring a date, like it just started like that for me,” Brown said. “But it’s also the fun finale of the week.”

Pride week and its events not only recognize the VU Pride club but also acknowledge and celebrate the school’s LGBTQ community as a whole. 

“I think it’s important to have a week on the campus calendar where VU Pride doesn’t just feel like another club,” Brown said. “We are a group of students, a pretty small group that has a hard time getting recognized. I enjoy having that week where we get to recognize and come together, as a community, and just celebrate being queer students at Villanova.”

Barczak also talked about this week’s significance and importance. 

“It’s always been my favorite week of the year because it’s a celebration of the community,” Barczak said. “We’re here, and we’re queer. I like to see the tangible results of our work throughout the year.” 

Brown emphasized that all allies are welcome and encouraged to attend. 

“Bring your friends,” Brown said. “Allies are so included. We want to share our community and celebrate students outside of the queer community. We put a lot of time and effort into planning this, so having as many people as possible enjoying it, that’s the goal.”

Barczak also encouraged allies and all members of the Villanova community to participate in Pride Week events. 

“Even if you are not a member of the queer community, Pride Week is a space for everyone, allies included,” Barczak said. 

VU Pride’s Pride Week promises to recognize and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community on campus and beyond the confines of Villanova through a wide variety of events that invite all members of the Villanova community to participate.