June is Pride Month, a month-long celebration dedicated to recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community’s voices, culture, and rights. Today, we started the month with a Pride flag raising and Show Your Pride event at the Royal Bank Plaza. Thank you to everyone who participated!
Pride Month is a time to reflect on the progress we have made, but also recognize the work that still needs to be done. I encourage VIU community members to educate themselves on the history of 2SLGBTQ+ communities and rights in Canada. Each of us plays a crucial role in fostering an environment free from discrimination and hate. Homophobia, heterosexism, or gender identity oppression have no place on our campuses.
At VIU, our strength lies in the unique identities, perspectives, and experiences that each community member brings to our campuses. We strive to be a welcoming space for 2SLGBTQ+ members of our community. We affirm and support 2SLGBTQ+ rights – you are acknowledged and celebrated for who you are.
I encourage you to join the Positive Space Alliance to walk in the Nanaimo Pride Parade and Festival on Sunday, June 9. Email PositiveSpace@viu.ca to get muster location details. This year’s parade theme is “Be Yourself.” On June 22 and 23, VIU’s Theatre department is organizing The Rainbow Project: Searching for a Voice, Pride Stories Through the Decades. The event features intimate narratives gathered from our local 2SLGBTQ+ community and a forum for other voices to mingle with their own.
I also encourage you to reach out to the Positive Space Alliance to arrange for a Positive Space workshop for your teams. The workshop covers a variety of topics, including issues faced by 2SLGBTQ+ people, definitions of queer terminology, gender identity and expression, causes of homophobia/transphobia/biphobia/queerphobia, and more. You can reach out to PositiveSpace@viu.ca to arrange a time.
Happy Pride to our VIU community!
