Laurier celebrates Pride Month with educational and engaging virtual events

Each June, Pride Month recognizes and honours the experiences and history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning, and two-spirit (2SLGBTQ+) individuals and communities. We celebrate in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots and work to recognize the impacts 2SLGBTQ+ people have had in the world.

Wilfrid Laurier University aims to create a safer and more equitable campus for all 2SLGBTQ+ members of our community. The university will celebrate Pride Month with a series of educational and engaging virtual events. All are open to the public unless otherwise noted.  

An Evening with Jonathan Van Ness 

June 2, 7 p.m., Zoom. Open to Laurier students.  

Laurier students are invited to join Jonathan Van Ness, host of Queer Eye (Netflix) and New York Times best-selling author, for an online conversation about life, experiences and words of wisdom. Motivational speaker Spencer West will moderate the event. 

Presented by Laurier’s Student Union. Register online. 

Bringing Pride to Work: 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Workplace  

June 2, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and June 23, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Open to Laurier faculty and staff.  

Bringing Pride to Work: 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Workplace will provide Laurier faculty and staff an overview of what 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion means in the workplace. A history of 2SLGBTQ+ rights and ways to recognize and address homophobic, biphobic and transphobic actions in the workplace will also be discussed.  

Presented by the Office of Dispute Resolution and Sexual Violence Support and Human Resources. Register through Laurier’s online training portal.  

Pride Lives on Instagram 

June 3, 10, 17 and 24, 12:30 to 1 p.m. 

Join the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region and Laurier’s Sexual Violence Education Action Group on Instagram for weekly conversations about issues facing the queer and trans communities. Topics include bisexuality and biphobia; masculinity, gender expression and theyness; privilege in the queer community; and queerness and Black men.   

Presented by the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region with support from Laurier’s Sexual Violence Education Action Group

Happy Pride: Steps Toward Creating and Maintaining Healthy Queer Positive Relationships 

June 9, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Zoom 

This interactive workshop will provide participants with knowledge about healthy relationships, healthy communication and healthy boundaries. Participants will explore key aspects of healthy relationships, as well as identify challenges and barriers with an emphasis on the unique experiences of queer relationships and identities.  

Presented by the Sexual Assault Survivor Centre of Waterloo Region with support from Laurier’s Sexual Violence Education Action Group. Join the meeting on Zoom with meeting ID 958 6463 6034. 

In Conversation: Pride, Research and Community

June 14

In honour of Pride Month, the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with Radio Laurier presents In Conversation: Pride, Research and Community. The University is proud to highlight Laurier researchers examining issues that affect 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. In Conversation is hosted by Laurier Dimensions Program Coordinator Rebecca Smyth and features researcher commentary from students and faculty including Cameron McKenzie, Charlie Davis, Eden Hennessey, Maryam Khan, Michael Woodford, Tin Vo and Todd Coleman. Researchers share their personal experiences and discuss how their research has worked to challenge systems of oppression, address inequities and reduce barriers related to 2SLGBTQIA+ issues.

Access the event audio on June 14.

Spilling the Tea on Safer Sex during COVID-19 

June 16, 7 to 8 p.m., Zoom 

Join Teddy Syrette, an Anishinabe two-spirit person from Batchewana First Nation and social justice advocate, for a discussion about safe sex practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Syrette will also speak about 2SLGBTQ+ identities and Indigeneity and their connection to systemic colonial environments. Syrette will also discuss mental health, grief and healthy coping mechanisms. 

Presented by LSPIRG.

Panel Discussion: Supporting Queer and Trans Survivors 

June 29, 2:30 to 4 p.m., Zoom 

2SLGBTQ+ people are more likely to be targets of violence and face different barriers to healing from trauma. This panel discussion will examine how trauma may impact queer and trans individuals and explore ways that supporters and care providers can respond to survivors’ needs. Panelists will include representatives from community organizations including the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area; OK2BME; SPECTRUM: Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space; and the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region.  

Presented by the Sexual Assault Support Centre Waterloo Region and supported by the Sexual Violence Education Action Group.

Register online.  

Pride Playlist on Spotify 

Tune into this Pride Month-inspired playlist on Spotify created by Laurier’s Consent is Golden out of the Office of Dispute Resolution and Sexual Violence Support. 

Visit the Pride 2021 page, created by the Laurier’s Sexual Violence Education Action Group, for all the events, programming and initiatives we are hosting this month. 

You can also find ongoing updates on the @Consentisgolden, @laurierbrantfordcsedi and @laurierwaterloocsedi Instagram pages.

Additional Pride Month events are taking place across Waterloo and Brant regions throughout the month of June. Please visit Tri-Pride for event listings in Waterloo Region and Brantford Pride for event listings in Brantford and Brant.