The United Student Pride club held a dedication ceremony Wednesday night to commemorate the opening of the club’s new booth on campus.

The Rainbow Alumni and Allies Club were able to raise $2,000 more than their original goal of $1,000, for the construction of a 36 square foot booth for United Student Pride, thanks to over 30 donors.

Lucas Lundy, president of the Rainbow Alumni and Allies Club, shared words of gratitude during the ceremony.

As a closeted gay man during his college years, Lundy did not feel comfortable openly sharing his sexual orientation while being apart of a fraternity, he said. Lundy helped raise money for the construction of the booth because he believed it would create a “safe zone” for students. Safe zones are people or spaces that are safe and welcoming to members of the LGBTQ community.

“I was a part of a fraternity and there was this whole stigma,” said Lundy. “I wanted to help fundraise for students and support pride.”

The booth was manufactured out of steel framing and has a pink inverted triangle on the top. Adolph Hitler used the pink triangle in Nazi concentration camps to brand gay men, but today the symbol is used as a memorial for LGBTQ pride and strength.

Karen Johnston McGehee, an artist at Imagination Metals, donated and created the custom booth for United Student Pride. Like Lundy, she also had personal struggles. When McGehee was younger she recalled kids using the term “gay” as a word of insult.

“People would say ‘ugh, you’re gay’ like it was a ‘dirty thing’ and I didn’t want to be a ‘dirty thing’,” said McGehee.

McGehee was married to a man before she was finally able to come to terms with accepting herself. Although McGehee knew there were people who felt indifferent toward her lifestyle she had finally found peace and to her that was more important.

The construction of the booth also symbolizes perseverance. During the Thanksgiving recess in 1987, the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Student Alliance (GLBSA), also known as United Student United Pride (USP), had a booth that was burned to the ground. Donor Stephanie Pearl, an alumni at Fresno State and an administrative supporter for College of Health and Human Services was in full support of the new addition to the campus.

“Unlike in 1987, this one won’t be able to be burned down,” said Pearl. “It’s a fabulous addition to the campus.”

A third annual LGBT plus Graduation Recognition Ceremony will be held on May 20th to honor the class of 2016.