Raisiing the Pride Flag at York U
York University is gearing up for Pride Toronto Week, June 19 to 25, with a wide array of events for the Keele and Glendon campuses. Pride Toronto Week is one of the largest Pride festivals in North America and celebrates the queer and trans communities. The Pride festivities also serve as a way to educate participants about the need to end discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The theme of the 35th edition of Pride Toronto is come OUT and PLAY, in acknowledgement of the 2015 Pan Am/Para Pan Am Games.
Pride at York has a central committee made up of staff and students who have started the social media campaign #EmbraceYU so that York community members can share stories of what Pride means to them, whether they are member of trans and/or LGBT communities or are allies and supporters. Organizers are hoping everyone will participate in the social media campaign through Twitter and Facebook.
Pride at York is organized by a number of different departments and student groups including the Centre for Human Rights, AGYU, SexGen, TBLGAY, YFS, the Centre for Student Community & Leadership Development and GLBGT (Glendon). Aerissa Roy-Dupuis, a York undergraduate student, is this year’s Pride Coordinator.
York Pride activities are sponsored by the office of the Vice-Provost Students, the Centre for Human Rights, Winters College, Calumet College, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and the Faculty of Education. If your faculty or department would like to contribute, please contact Roy-Dupisat aerissa@live.ca.
Pride events organized for the entire York community are:
Pride Reception at the Keele campus
Please join the Centre for Human Rights for a Pride Reception. Tuesday, June 23 from 11:30am to 1pm, second floor, Kaneff Tower, Keele campus. Cake will be served and welcome remarks on behalf of the University will be given by Vice-Provost Academic Alice Pitt at 12pm. For more information, email chiuyv@york.ca.
Pride Festival
Drop by the Pride Festival at Church and Wellesley on the weekend of June 27 to 28 (Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 6pm) – Look for the York booth and grab one of our colourful and cooling hand fans. If you would like to volunteer for a shift at the Pride booth, email aerissa@live.ca.
All departments or faculties that would like materials at the York Pride booth must contact CHR (nadiabel@yorku.ca) for drop-off or pick up of materials. The deadline for materials at the pride table is Wednesday, June 24.
Social Media
Tweet or post to Facebook your pride through #EmbraceYU. Check out https://www.facebook.com/EmbraceYUcampaign for details.
Flag raising at the Glendon campus
Glendon will be hosting a flag raising on Monday, June 22 from 10 to 11:30am at the Manor House. Email glendonlgbt@gmail.com for more information
York student group events
YFS, TBLGAY and CWTP are also organizing a number of different events the week of June 22 to 26, including a flag-drop at the Keele campus on Monday, June 22 at 2pm in Vari Hall and a float in the parade. Email events@yfs.ca for more information.