Staff

Imagine this: you’re an athlete who menstruates. You’ve been training hard for a big race just days away, but your period is heavy, and the pain makes it hard to even get out of bed. On top of that, your race uniform includes white biker shorts, and the fear of leaking is real. You don’t feel like you can talk to anyone because no one talks about periods. So, you push through in silence. 

Living in a diverse environment is more than grabbing shawarma from the corner shop or dancing to Caribbean music at a summer festival. Our introduction to different cultures may begin there—but it shouldn’t end there. Diversity isn’t a playlist or a plate. It’s people

We are constantly surrounded by headlines, data, and official stories about how the world works. But how often do we stop to ask: Where do these ideas come from? Who benefits from them? What’s being left out?

During the Community Corner hosted by the Office of EDI-R, this is where we wanted to center our reflections on Pride Month and Pride events on campus. What is the story of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Kitchener-Waterloo? What did community, progress, and dissent look like before, during, and after calls for legal recognition and equality? And what do milestones and celebration for the community look like outside of institutional acceptance?

The Trans and Non-Binary Equity Strategy was informed and co-created by members of our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities—students, staff, and faculty who showed deep courage in sharing their experiences and speaking up in the hope of sustainable change. They didn’t just point to problems—they helped imagine solutions. They spoke up not only for themselves, but for those who couldn’t, or didn’t feel safe enough to. That is leadership. That is community in action.