Before 2000, Wake Forest University did not hold any specific non-discrimination policy. Randy Riddle, former Wake Forest professor, was expected to put up with discriminatory comments from another employee. This was prior to 2000 and the university's response was, essentially, that nothing could be done because the employee had tenure.
"I think it was after I left, but at Wake Forest adopted a non-discrimination policy. I think it was after 2000 they did that. I think that was probably a big…that was a big step." (Randy Riddle)
In 2011, members of Wake Forest staff and faculty came together in response to the University's need or a space specifically for LGBTQ+ student, faculty, and staff. Dr. Angela Mazaris is the founding director of Wake Forest's LGBTQ Center.
"We needed visibility, and that was really important. If the campus climate towards LGBTQ people in general was going to [improve] this was a critical first step. (Dr. David Phillips)
In 2011, the Winston-Salem Pride Parade made a comeback and has remained an annual event since. Sam Tarleton spoke about his coming out experience that occurred as a result of him attending the parade. While his father forbade him from attending the parade, Sam and his friends went all out to show their pride.
"[M]e and my friends we had gone all out for pride, like we each got on a different color t-shirts like: red, orange, yellow and on the front, we did all the different like gender signs together like the two female, two male, like male and female and we were Winston Salem pride and on the back we had ironed on these pictures, these two pictures one with Cinderella and Snow White making out and when was Prince Eric and Prince Charming making out and it said everybody deserves a fairy tale ending in big letters on the back with glitter all over and everything" (Sam Tarleton)