Ithaca Celebrates Queer-Inclusive Valentine's Day

Local organizations host range of LGBTQ+ programming to mark the holiday

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In the lead-up to Valentine's Day, a variety of queer organizations across Ithaca, New York hosted programs to celebrate the diverse forms of love in the community. Events like "Made With Love" at Ithaca College's LGBTQ+ center gave students the opportunity to stuff plush toys and connect with peers, providing an alternative to the holiday's traditionally heteronormative narratives.

Why it matters

Historically, queer relationships have often been excluded from mainstream Valentine's Day celebrations. These Ithaca events aimed to create inclusive spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals could feel represented and supported, especially amid the current political climate of increased attacks on the community.

The details

The "Made With Love" event at Ithaca College's Center for LGBT Education, Outreach, & Services allowed students to stuff plush toys and connect with peers. Nearly 50 students attended, with supplies running out quickly. The organizers designed the program to be accessible to all identities and relationship statuses, providing a low-stakes, low-stress creative activity. Other Ithaca organizations, like Keshet at Cornell, also hosted queer-centered Valentine's Day events like crafting sessions.

  • The "Made With Love" event took place on February 13, 2026.
  • Keshet at Cornell held its first official meeting on February 10, 2026.

The players

Lizzie Adelman

A junior at Ithaca College who created a rainbow cat with a unicorn horn plush toy at the "Made With Love" event.

Cefari Langford

The LGBTQ Pride Fellow at Ithaca College, who designed the "Made With Love" event as an alternative to the traditionally heteronormative Valentine's Day marketing.

Mirella Berkowitz

A junior at Cornell University and a founding member of Keshet at Cornell, a newly recuperated organization for queer Jewish Cornellians and their allies.

Jenna Petrone

An admission counselor at Ithaca College and a lead organizer of the college's Faculty and Staff LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, which plans events to help coworkers decompress.

Ash Bailot

The Makerspace and Specialized Technology lab coordinator at Ithaca College, who partnered with Jenna Petrone to host Valentine's Day themed crafts in the Makerspace.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“A program like this is important because it shows, 'hey, you do have a space on this day.' How you love, who you love is just as important as how everybody else does it.”

— Cefari Langford, LGBTQ Pride Fellow, Ithaca College (theithacan.org)

“It was refreshing to walk in here, knowing that I wouldn't have to explain myself.”

— Mirella Berkowitz, Cornell University junior (theithacan.org)

“This is something for ourselves. This is our representation. It's unique. Especially with everything going on right now in this nation, a lot of people are scared, understandably. And I think having these events and showing people, 'you're not alone in this,' is really important.”

— Lizzie Adelman, Ithaca College junior (theithacan.org)

What’s next

The Ithaca College Faculty and Staff LGBTQ+ Affinity Group plans to continue hosting regular coffee hours and social gatherings to provide a safe space for the community.

The takeaway

These queer-centered Valentine's Day events in Ithaca demonstrate the importance of creating inclusive spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals can celebrate love and community, especially in the face of increased political attacks on the community. The warm, genuine atmosphere of these programs offered a much-needed respite from the pressures of college life.