Recent History

• 1995 - Matt Baumgartner graduates from Union. Baumgartner founded several local restaurants and bars, including Bomber's Burrito Bar and Wolff's Biergarten, and he owns and operates June Farms in West Sand Lake. In 2012, Metroland published a piece on Baumgartner that included a narrative of his coming out process.

• 1998 - The campus community reacts to the murder of Matthew Shepard. On Monday, October 19th, a candelight vigil was hosted by the Multicultural Affairs Group in front of Reamer Campus Center. Nearly one hundred students, faculty, and staff participated.

• 2000 - Pakk Hui graduates from Union. Hui is a composer for film and television scores. According to his website, "he currently lives in Los Angeles with his husband, Will, and their miniature goldendoodle Daisy."

• 2001 - UBGLAD hosts a student and faculty drag ball, with performances including "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, "YMCA" by The Village People, as well as the Jackson Five and Sonny and Cher [4]. This event was repeated in 2002 and 2003. 

• 2008 - UBGLAD had been renamed or otherwise reformed into Spectrum. In the Winter 2008 Women’s and Gender Studies Department Newsletter, a first year student from Spectrum writes about the club’s activities (and laments its small number of active members).

• 2008 - Iris House, an LGBTQ+ Theme House, is formed by members of Spectrum. 

• 2008 - The first Annual Wikoff Student Gallery LGBTQ+ Art Show is held. This is an event that has continued to the time of this writing (2023). 

• 2010 - Campus reaction to Tyler Clementi’s suicide.

• 2011 - the first Annual Community Pride Walk is held. This event will run consecutively until 2019.

• 2014 - The Committee on LGBTQ+ Affairs established by the Office of the President. This Committee remains active at the time of this writing (2023). 

• 2021 - An LGBTQ+ Alumni Network is formed. This Network remains active at the time of this writing (2023). 

• 2021 - The first annual Pride Fest is held during Spring Term. This is an annual event that has continued to the time of this writing (2023). 

• 2022 - A gender inclusive floor, located in Richmond Dormitory, is added as a first year housing option.

The title page of an article about Matt Baumgartner, Union College Class of 1995, founder and former owner of several Capital Region restaurants and bars, published in the Fall 2012 edition of Metroland.

An excerpt from the article about Baumgartner's process and experience of coming out to his mother, his brothers, and his friends. 

The first page of an article published in the Concordiensis in October of 1998, discussing a candlelight vigil, sponsored by the Multicultural Affairs Group, held on campus following the murder of Matthew Shepard. 

A photograph of Iris House, taken May 2022.