From CSU sociology student and academic advisor to college counselor, queer community advocate and filmmaker, Eric Delehoy’s career reflects the power of putting ideas into motion and creating alongside others. This Sunday, his latest film tour begins in Fort Collins.
Eric K. Delehoy (he/him), ’95, is a writer, changemaker and lifelong advocate for queer voices. With a B.A. in sociology from CSU and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University, Eric has been bringing people together, championing queer communities and using storytelling to shift ideas into action for the past three decades.
At CSU, Eric explored history, social work and psychology before choosing his sociology major. He was drawn to questions around people, their differences and oppression. His creative writing classes with Deanna Ludwin at Poudre High School and through CSU’s English department helped him find his voice. After graduating, he accepted a role as an admissions counselor at CSU, then went on to continue advising students abroad.
His commitment to community also took shape as he inspired action near and far. As an active member of CSU’s Student Organization for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals in the 1990s (now the Pride Resource Center), Eric helped create opportunities and scholarships for queer students. Later, as president of the Lambda Community Center which served northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, he helped influence state legislation.
“CSU really helped me find my voice and become an advocate for the queer community,” Eric says.
Eric’s work continued into publishing, education and politics. In 1999, he founded Gertrude, a literary journal amplifying queer voices that would evolve into the longest running queer press in the country. As founder of Delehoy College Counseling, he has guided thousands of students through college exploration and admission for more than 25 years. He has also chaired the Basic Rights Oregon Equality PAC Board, and he ran for Oregon State Representative in 2022.
Eric launched Harriet Productions to bring queer stories to the screen by creating space for truth, joy and experiences that are too often left unseen. His film Cowboy Boots has earned numerous awards, while State Rep offers a look inside the power structures of the Oregon State Capitol. His latest film, Winters, Nebraska, grew from a novel he began years ago and eventually realized was a screenplay as his worlds converged. Its film tour opens this Sunday, November 1, at 2 p.m. at The Lyric in Fort Collins, with additional screenings across Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska.
Eric’s journey shows how a liberal arts education can connect curiosity with action, creative practice with community, and learning with questions that matter. “CSU Sociology and the College of Liberal Arts prepared me for what I didn’t even know was coming,” he says. “Broadening perspectives and knowledge is the value of the liberal arts.”
Join us at The Lyric this weekend or find a screening near you: harrietproductions.com/screenings
Photos provided by Eric Delehoy.
