Published:
Pride Alliance first entered Black Hawk College’s (BHC) Quad Cities (QC) campus in 2023. For its members, the group has become a space where students can express themselves through identity and shared interests.
Over the past year, the club hosted events, making friendship bracelets in the Building 1 lobby and art exhibitions with Art Collective, where students showcased stories through original art pieces. One event that seemed to be the most popular was the Be bRAVE event held at the beginning of the spring semester.
Jen Dehm, the club’s president and founder, received their associate in arts degree this past May with future plans to pursue a career in art education.
Pride Alliance at Club Fest
Being president of the club, they said it’s been one of the best leadership positions to have while being a student on campus.
“Basically, you are the head cat wrangler when it comes to college students… I’ve been in other leadership roles before, when I was a scout and in my friend groups. I’m always the one planning things, so it’s definitely an extension of those leadership planning skills as well as conflict management.”
They have remained the longest-standing member of the club, receiving an email from Heather Bjorgan during winter break of 2023 stating her interest in starting a Pride Alliance group on campus. From there, about three other people attended that first meeting and hit it off from that moment.
For Jen, the club has been more than meetings and events, but a community circle where they speak about current LGBTQ+ events, what’s going on at BHC and events they want to plan in the future.
“I’ve heard that we’ve actually had students cry seeing that we actually have this club on campus, as well as just the community that we can bring together, even if we’re all so different,” Jen said. “There’s just something about it that unites us, and that is something that a student can look back on and say, ‘this is a place where I feel accepted I can speak on my issues and just have a community.’”
Beyond speaking about experiences and issues that they face as members within the LGBTQ+ community, meetings include opportunities to share what makes them happiest and their passions.
Recently, Pride Alliance started hosting presentation days, where members come to present a topic of their choice. “Anything goes,” as long as it remains appropriate. Presentations ranged from “what if you put a werewolf on the moon” to Jen’s, who chose to present about their car, a Chevy Cavalier, and how it’s the “boomer special” and another
Moments as such remain an important aspect of the group and how they learn about one another.
Having an opportunity to see plans come to fruition remains the most rewarding part of Jen’s presidential role.
“In the beginning of this spring semester, we had our rave [event], which was basically over a year of planning and talking with our DJ, getting the space and figuring out what we wanted for props [and] decor,” they said. “Even if our turnout wasn’t the craziest we’ve ever had, it was still really nice, and people seemed to enjoy the experience.”
With the 2025-2026 school year wrapped up, the club’s community extends beyond campus meetings and events. June is Pride Month for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and Pride Alliance members are attending the events together this summer. Members are also connected to Clock Inc. and The Project, which provide opportunities for additional resources and community all year long.
