The University of Maine will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the LGBTQ+ student club, Wilde-Stein, with two events this Friday, Oct. 13 taking place both on campus and online as part of homecoming.
Wilde-Stein was an early LGBTQ+ student club founded in September 1973. It was one of many student groups that appeared on college campuses across the United States during the gay liberation movement. Wilde-Stein actively engaged the state of Maine in discussions about civil rights, and united Maine’s LGBTQIA+ people by holding the Maine Gay Symposium. While many of these early queer groups dissolved over the years, Wilde-Stein has remained in existence for 50 years, changing to meet the needs of its members over time.
An exhibit on the founding of the club, Those who will know Pride; The Start of the UMaine’s Wilde Stein Club, will be unveiled in Fogler Library at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 13. The exhibit will also be accessible online.
This will be followed at 2 p.m. by Wilde-Stein: 50 years, an open discussion, in person and over Zoom, on Wilde-Stein, past and present, at the Buchanan Alumni House. The discussion will include current members of Wilde-Stein and one of the eight original founding members, Steve Bull. Audience participation is encouraged.
All are welcome! Particularly former Wilde-Stein members, and LGBTQIA+ alumni. All events are free, but please register ahead of time. To reserve your spot, fill out our form: https://forms.gle/xKiZZG9CbGACnA4N9.