Photo of the Week Highlights Earl Hall LGBTQ+ History
The Columbia University Photo of the week highlights the front page of the first issue of "Pride of Lions". The first edition of “Pride of Lions” was published in April 1972 and was “The Newspaper of the Gay People at Columbia.” In 1966, Columbia University became the first collegiate institution in the United States to officially recognize an LGBTQ+ student group, the Student Homophile League. The support of the University Chaplain established Earl Hall as a safe space for the groups meetings and events. In 1970, the SHL became the more activist Gay People at Columbia which sponsored first Friday dances in Earl Hall’s second-story ballroom. These popular dances were an alternative to bars for both the Columbia and general LGBTQ+ communities. For this reason, Earl Hall has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Many thanks to Columbia News for highlighting this great history!