Events

WPL is excited to partner with SPECTRUM, Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space, on a fantastic line-up of programs and events in recognition of Pride Month this June. Pride Month is about celebrating people in 2SLGBTQ+ communities while also promoting equality and visibility. Join WPL – to learn, to have fun and to appreciate how each member of our community contributes to creating safe, welcoming spaces for one another.

Pride Month programs are presented with funds from the Ginny Knight Memorial Fund, for which they are very grateful.

Discover Pride Month reading lists, programs and community events at WPL from now until the end of June. 

Presentation on Métis culture and history, including the ethnogenesis of the Métis, and their unique and rich culture and language. Facilitated by Jennifer Parkinson, this workshop addresses questions such as: "Who are the Métis?" "Why did they disappear in history?" and "Where are they today?"

Thursday, July 7th, 2022, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Session 1: Pride in the Workplace

According to Statistics Canada, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks report more frequent experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace than their cisgender and heterosexual peers. This workshop examines unique forms of sexual harassment in the workplace experienced by 2SLGBTQIA+ folks with a mixture of statistics, anecdotes and personal experiences. Whether you’re a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, a supporter of someone in the community, or outside of the community – join us in learning strategies to build cultures of consent at work that include 2SLGBTQIA+ folks.

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn how to recognize the unique forms of sexual harassment in the workplace experienced by 2SLGBTQIA+ folks
• Build an understanding of the systems and beliefs that contribute to the disproportionate rates of sexual harassment experienced by 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in the workplace
• Strengthen your confidence in bystander intervention in situations of 2SLGBTQIA+ discrimination
• Gain an appreciation for intersectionality within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and beyond
• Find out what supports are available for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in the Waterloo Region

Monday, July 11th, 2022, 9:30 am – 11:30 am

Session 2: Proud After Pride Month

2SLGBTQIA+ folks can spend a lot of their personal and professional time explaining and advocating for parts of their identity. Pride Month can offer an exciting opportunity for folks to open up, celebrate their identity, and meet similar peers. However, it also creates an opportunity for performative allyship when the workplace is decorated in Pride Month merchandise without making any efforts to increase the safety of 2SLGBTQIA+ employees. Many in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community can feel alienated by this process, which is why it is vital to ensure that your workplace can foster safety for employees beyond June. Join us for this workshop to learn strategies to ensure your employees can feel proud after pride month.

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn how to create safe spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ colleagues that last beyond Pride Month
• Some suggestions on things to do and things to avoid when building rapport with 2SLGBTQIA+ employees
• Gain an understanding of the legal protections for 2SLGBTQIA+ employees
• Learn ways to practice intersectionality in the workplace to build safety for all 2SLGBTQIA+ employees
• Develop an appreciation for how unconscious biases affect the treatment of 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in the workplace
• Identify the consequences for everyone at work when 2SLGBTQIA+ folks are excluded

Hear Elder Myeengun Henry speak from an Indigenous perspective about some significant court cases involving Indigenous peoples that have and continue to influence our society.

August 6-21, Bingeman's is proud to host the Neebing Indigenous Art Fair. The exhibition will feature a collection of Indigenous art celebrating the Grand River. Featured artists include Thomas Sinclair, Autumn Smith, Luke Swinson, Alanah Jewell Morningstar, Blake Aneconeb and Chief Lady Bird.

August 6-21, Bingeman's is proud to host the Neebing Indigenous Art Fair. The exhibition will feature a collection of Indigenous art celebrating the Grand River. Featured artists include Thomas Sinclair, Autumn Smith, Luke Swinson, Alanah Jewell Morningstar, Blake Aneconeb and Chief Lady Bird.

August 6-21, Bingeman's is proud to host the Neebing Indigenous Art Fair. The exhibition will feature a collection of Indigenous art celebrating the Grand River. Featured artists include Thomas Sinclair, Autumn Smith, Luke Swinson, Alanah Jewell Morningstar, Blake Aneconeb and Chief Lady Bird.

August 6-21, Bingeman's is proud to host the Neebing Indigenous Art Fair. The exhibition will feature a collection of Indigenous art celebrating the Grand River. Featured artists include Thomas Sinclair, Autumn Smith, Luke Swinson, Alanah Jewell Morningstar, Blake Aneconeb and Chief Lady Bird.

August 6-21, Bingeman's is proud to host the Neebing Indigenous Art Fair. The exhibition will feature a collection of Indigenous art celebrating the Grand River. Featured artists include Thomas Sinclair, Autumn Smith, Luke Swinson, Alanah Jewell Morningstar, Blake Aneconeb and Chief Lady Bird.