This year Toronto celebrates with the world. One of the largest international events, WorldPride honours the history, courage and future of the LGBTQ+ communities. (LGBTQ+ is an abbreviation used to represent a broad array of identities such as, but not limited to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, two-spirited, pansexual, gender and sexual minorities and allies.) York@WorldPride invites you to connect with the spirit of Pride and rise up in solidarity with queer communities and their accomplices to showcase the acceptance, diversity and inclusivity that York promotes while welcoming individuality.
The Art Gallery of York University (AGYU), the Centre for Human Rights (CHR), York Federation of Students (YFS), Trans, Bi, Lesbian and Gay Allies at York (TBLGAY), Glendon Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (GLgbt*), and SexGen York committee want you to share your true colours and get involved with Toronto’s WorldPride Week and all of York’s multi-faceted festivities.
Celebrate!
The revelry begins with opening ceremonies at Keele and Glendon campuses.
Pride kicks off on Keele campus in the Student Centreon Tuesday, June 24, from 10:30 to 11:30am. Enjoy delicious home made cupcakes (in rainbow effect) and fly your own flag with invited guests Alice Pitt, vice provost academic; Elliott Lee-Mook, internal coordinator and Lee Iskander, external coordinator, TBLGAY; Professor Tania Das Gupta, undergraduate program director in the Department of Equity Studies in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies; and Gayle McFadden, VP campaigns and advocacy, YFS, as they remark on their ongoing commitment to equity and safety of LGBTQ+ at York. An LGBTQ+BBQ will follow courtesy of YFS. All are invited to relax and enjoy the sunny summer weather.
The official Glendon campus Flag Drop Ceremony takes place at the Skyroom, A300 York Hall, A-Wing on Tuesday, June 24 at 1pm. Join us for cake and presentations by guest speakers Kenneth McRoberts, principal of Glendon College; Noël Badiou, director, CHR; Juan Garrido, undergrad, Drama Studies & Sociology; and Aleksandar Golijanin, head coordinator, GLgbt*.
Collaborate!
Francisco-Fernando Granados, Study for true colours, 2014
Students are invited to collaborate and decorate the York float banners by personalizing their own flags and t-shirts on Monday, June 23 from 12 to 4pm in Vari Hall in preparation for the parade. AGYU commissioned artist Francisco-Fernando Granados to redirect focus back to the roots of Pride activism. Granados invites participants to re-imagine the palette of the queer flags by filling in the stripes with colour combinations of our choice. The accumulation of the flags will be the basis of the community banner to be seen by millions on the parade route. Both as a work of abstraction and relational process, the project true colours, aims to create an open-ended visual experience that evokes the incalculable multiplicity of queerness. After the art party join TBLGAY for a Pre-Pride Potluck Social from 4 to 7pm in their space in 449A Student Centre.
Participate!
Visit York University at Pride Toronto in the WorldPride Street Fair on Church Street, Saturday, June 28 and Sunday June 29 from 12 to 8pm each day. Come to the booth to cool off with a rainbow fan and meet members of the York community. If you would like to volunteer at the street fair booth, contact Daulton Scott at daultonscott77@gmail.com or Suzanne Carte at scarte@yorku.ca or 416-736-5169 for scheduling details. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen.
March!
Join TBLGAY at the Trans* Pride Rally & March on Friday June 27. (Trans* refers to a person whose gender identity is not the same as the sex they were assigned at birth. Community members who may self-identify as trans can be transgender, transsexual, intersex, third gender, genderqueer, genderfluid, non-binary, bigender, or any other identity that is not cisgender [cisgender people are those whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.]) The rally begins at 7pm and the march at 8pm. The rally and mark start from the North Stage Intersection of Church and Isabella Streets. Then on Saturday, June 28 at 2pm, join us for the Dyke March moving from Allan Gardens to George Hilsop Parkette. To participate in the Trans* and Dyke March with TBLGAY, contact TBLGAY on Facebook or at tblgay@yorku.ca.
Perform!
Keep a look out for us at the WorldPride Parade on Sunday June 29 starting at 1pm at Bloor & Church with a route that goes all the way down Yonge Street to Dundas Square. All York students, faculty, staff and their friends are welcome to jump and dance to the bouncing tracks of DJ Quinces who has created the ultimate party music playlist. Ensure you dress for the weather and bring sunscreen – the march goes ahead rain or shine.
Do you want to be a part of the parade and dance on York@WorldPride’s float? Contact Gayle McFadden at YFS at vpcampaigns@yfs.ca for more information on how you can march with York in the parade. Bring your re-usable water bottles because it is going to be hot, hot, hot!
Stay Connected!
On Facebook at the home pages of AGYU, YFS, GLgbt* & TBLGAY for images and updates. Check out the York@WorldPride’s tumblr for regular updates of pictures of the events. The Twitter hashtag is #YUWorldPride.
York@WorldPride is generously supported by the AGYU, CHR, TBLGAY, YFS, GLgbt* and the SexGen Committee.
The Keele Campus Flag Raising is sponsored by Dean Barbara Crow and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Stephanie Francis, coordinator, Residence Life at the Centre for Student Community & Leadership Development.
The Glendon Campus Flag Raising is sponsored by Glendon Faculty, GLgbt* and Aramark.
The York@WorldPride festivities is sponsored by Alumni Relations, Faculty of Health, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Science, and McLaughlin College.
For more information on the events, contact Suzanne Carte, assistant curator, AGYU at scarte@yorku.ca or 416-736-5169.