Members of the American University community gathered outside Mary Graydon Center on Oct. 2 to witness the university’s Second Annual Progress Pride Flag Raising.

The original raising was scheduled for June but was postponed due to wildfires in Canada that caused air quality concerns, according to a LinkedIn post by Jarryd Delaney, a co-lead for AU LGBTQ+ Faculty & Staff Affinity Group and associate director of alumni relations at AU.

October was chosen for the flag raising because it is LGBTQ+ History Month and National Coming Out Day falls on Oct. 11, according to Delaney’s post.

The AU LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Affinity Group led the event. Delaney hosted the event along with Director of the CAS Leadership Program and Senior Professorial Lecturer Nabina Liebow, Ph.D, and Khouri Lassiter, the associate director for Education & Support Programing for LGBTQIA+ at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

The speakers said they were thankful for the progress made in queer expression and academic freedom that made this event possible.