Cal Culture

LGBTQ+ Living History: Gender Studies at UC Berkeley

LGBTQ studies as an academic field found early roots in the 1930s. The development of queer theory, however, found momentum several decades later in the 1970s.

LGBTQ+ Living History: The Turbulent ’50s

In a six-part series, we highlight a few of the moments, movements, and people that made their mark on Cal’s LGBTQ+ history. We move through the decades, beginning in an era of secrecy and continuing through today. The turbulent ’50s and ’60s In the 1950s and most of the 1960s, few organizations existed for LGBT […]

LGBTQ+ Living History: Coming Together in the 1980s

In a six-part series, we highlight a few of the moments, movements, and people that made their mark on Cal’s LGBTQ+ history. We move through the decades, beginning in an era of secrecy and continuing through today. Coming together in the 1980s Just as the gay community was enjoying less discrimination and harassment, more peer […]

LGBTQ+ Living History: The Early Years

Members of the LGBTQ+ community have been part of UC Berkeley’s campus community since its inception, but their physical and social environment has changed dramatically. No longer do they have to live in isolation. No longer do they have to risk getting arrested for being who they are. Today, Cal students have a more welcoming […]

LGBTQ+ Living History: Toward Equality

In a six-part series, we highlight a few of the moments, movements, and people that made their mark on Cal’s LGBTQ+ history. We move through the decades, beginning in an era of secrecy and continuing through today. The move toward gender equality When Billy Curtis arrived at Cal in 1999 as the first full-time LGBTQ […]

LGBTQ+ Living History: The Transformative ’60s and ’70s

In a six-part series, we highlight a few of the moments, movements, and people that made their mark on Cal’s LGBTQ+ history. We move through the decades, beginning in an era of secrecy and continuing through today. The transformative ’60s and ’70s The gay rights movement saw some forward motion in the 1960s. Dr. John […]

Remembering Dan Cheatham ’58

Norden H. (Dan) Cheatham ’58 (1936 – 2019) "Remember who you are and what you represent." That's what Dan Cheatham told new Cal Band members during the Silent Walk, an initiation held the day after the first home game, where Cal Band newcomers receive a guided tour of important UC Berkeley campus landmarks.

Celebrating Our LGBTQ+ Community at the San Francisco Pride Parade

On Sunday, June 30, 2019, more than 600 Cal alumni, faculty, students, and friends joined together to march at the 49th annual San Francisco LGBTQ+ Pride Parade. The Cal Alumni Association (CAA) partnered with UC Berkeley’s Gender Equity Resource Center (GenEq) to lead the Cal contingent of marchers for the third year in a row. […]

‘A New Day’: One Alumna Finds Cal Pride, 40 Years After Graduation

By Courtney Cheng

“It is refreshing and healing—liberating, actually—to see a new day, a new message to African American students, and to all of us,” Dana shares. “When I told one of the students that assisted in the interviews how much I appreciated her presence, she responded with, ‘Yes, but I am standing on your shoulders.’”

Five Moments of Pride for Queer Cal Alumni

UC Berkeley has long been at the forefront of social movements—Free Speech, disability rights, and environmental protection, to name just a few. Cal community members have also played critical roles in pushing for equal rights, visibility, and representation for the LGBTQ+ community. Here are five moments—out of many—when Cal students, faculty, and alumni helped reach […]

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Legacies

In May we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to honor the history and culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our country. At Cal, we are extremely lucky to have had our legacy of service and achievement carried on by AAPI alumni who have found success in politics, the arts, STEM, business, and many other fields. During this month of celebration, we would like to recognize a few of the many Asian American and Pacific Islander alumni who have shaped communities and blazed the path for future generations.

Crossing Sproul Plaza

Since my time at Berkeley (1968–72), I have made it a point to return often, be it for a night at the Faculty Club, a concert, ballgame, or—best yet—simply a quiet seat on Sproul Plaza watching the changing of classes as the Campanile tosses out its tunes. A seat on the plaza is my own Brooklyn Ferry, free of charge and without the tossing tides. It’s so reaffirming to watch the legions of students pass by, just as I passed through Sather Gate in the late 60s and if my experiences at my alma mater are any indication, it is thrilling to imagine the difference that professors will make on those who pass through Sather Gate.