Rice Pride Week is an annual celebration dedicated to honoring the vibrant diversity, contributions, and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community both on our campus and beyond. This week-long event aims to spotlight the struggles, triumphs, and cultural impact of the LGBTQIA+ community, cultivating a more nuanced understanding of queer experiences. As Pride Month occurs in June, when most students are not present on campus, the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence and Rice PRIDE have organized Rice’s own Pride Week to uplift queerness on campus. This academic year, we have relaunched Pride Week to take place during the fall semester.
This November, our theme, “Queerly Ever After” celebrates queer storytelling and its transformative power in all its multifaceted forms across genres, time periods and media. From historical archives and literary fiction to the big screen and beyond, narratives have long served as important spaces to honor memory, subvert norms, and claim agency. “Queerly Ever After” acknowledges and amplifies happy endings often denied to LGBTQIA+ individuals. Throughout the week, we invite the Rice community to engage in queer storytelling as we seek to forge more radical, joyful futures.
To put this year’s theme into action, Rice Pride Week offers a series of curated events — from Queer Trivia and Drag Night to the Pride Parade and Gayla — that showcase the strength and significance of LGBTQIA+ communities, their history, their culture and their pride. Through everyday stories, educational panels, and community gatherings, Pride Week events invite everyone to look beyond stereotypical narratives and embrace the incredible diversity and contributions of LGBTQIA+ people.
Rice University joyfully recognizes the importance of Rice Pride Week in promoting a sense of belonging, inclusivity, and visibility within the LGBTQIA+ community. The institution remains committed to fostering creativity, advancing innovative ideas, and supporting contributions that ensure the next generation inherits the resilience, sparkle, and strength to thrive.
We invite you to join us as we come together to celebrate Rice Pride Week 2026!
JOIN OUR PLANNING COMMITTEE
Members of the Rice community are invited to join the Pride Week 2026 planning committee and help bring this year's celebration to life! Whether you enjoy event planning, creative brainstorming, communications or simply want to get more involved, there are several ways to contribute behind the scenes. Committee members can participate in one of three subcommittees: Kickoff Event, Parade or Marketing.
For questions or more information, please contact Anya Tsang at at273@rice.edu.