A message from Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor
Pride Month is a time to recognize, celebrate and reflect on the incredible diversity of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities on our campuses and beyond.
Pride Month is a time to recognize, celebrate and reflect on the incredible diversity of the Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional sexual orientations and gender identities and communities on our campuses and beyond. When I think about Pride, I think about the 2SLGBTQIA+ students, faculty, staff, and alumni who make our institution what it is. All enrich our community and contribute to our diversity which makes us stronger.
Pride in our stories
Celebrating the stories of the 2SLGBTQIA+ researchers, students, alumni and staff that shape our University community
Beyond the pride crosswalk
Michael Ricci, a master’s student in the School of Urban Planning explores the art of making meaningful queer spaces in mid-size cities like Kitchener-Waterloo.
Mehndi Boy: The courage to be your true self
Zain Bandali (BES'20) publishes an early-reader chapter book that explores gender norms and a sense of belonging in a community.
The Games Institute brings together a diverse community
There is no recipe or instruction manual for building inclusive spaces because they can never be constructed — they are cultivated.
Keeping spaces open for 2SLGBTQIA+ students
Waterloo Engineering graduate student, Arden Song, provides continuity for EngiQueers organization.
Celebrating queer scientists
Meet some members of the Faculty of Science 2SLGBTQIA+ community, whos passion and perseverance drive progress.
Nish Vibes - Truth and courage
This episode of Nish Vibes begins with the Faculty of Health's Indigenous Knowledge Keeper, Myeengun Henry, speaking with University of Waterloo alum and Indigenous Research Advisor, Benny Skinner.
Featured events
June 3 | 8:45 - 9:45 AM
Flag-raising Ceremony
Location: South Campus Hall
Join us as we kick off Pride with a formal ceremony to re-raise the Intersex-Inclusive Progress flag and the Two-Spirit Pride flag. All are welcome to join us for the ceremony and free breakfast.
June 5 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM
The Future-Ready Workforce Series: Building inclusive workplaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ students
Location: Online
Join the Work-Learn Institute (WxL) in exploring how employers can foster workplace inclusion for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (2SLGBTQIA+) co-op students.
June 5 | 3:00 - 6:00 PM
GLOW GROW
Location: Glow Centre
Every other Wednesday Glow in partnership with Campus Wellness, Counselling Services will have mental health therapist and educator Washington Silk (They/Them) come for a visit. This a flexible time where you can come chill, ask questions, submit topic requests (formally and informally), AMA, do creative things, supportive things for mental wellness as individual or as a community, and to just generally be together.
June 19 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM
A Trauma Informed Lunch and Learn: Supporting the campus communities on the 1 year anniversary of June 28th
Location: In-person, location will be sent to registered participants
Hosted by the Counselling Services 2SLGBTQIA+ Peer Supervisions and Support Group this session led by mental health professionals to help staff and students better support those affected by the incident on June 28th.
June 19 | 3:00 - 6:00 PM
GLOW GROW
Location: Glow Centre
Every other Wednesday Glow in partnership with Campus Wellness, Counselling Services will have mental health therapist and educator Washington Silk (They/Them) come for a visit. This a flexible time where you can come chill, ask questions, submit topic requests (formally and informally), AMA, do creative things, supportive things for mental wellness as individual or as a community, and to just generally be together.
June 20 | 9:00 - 10:00 AM
Two Spirit Remembering: Exploring Indigenous Queer History and Epistemologies featuring Jay Havens and Benny Skinner
Join the Office of Indigenous Relations for an exciting, educational discussion between two beloved Two Spirit members of our UWaterloo community: Communication Arts Assistant Professor Jay Havens and Indigenous Research Advisor Benny Skinner.
June 20 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Queering Research: A panel discussion
Please join us for a graduate student panel discussion about queerness in research, hosted by the Inclusive Research team. This hybrid event is open to all 2SLGBTQIA+ University of Waterloo community members and allies and will include short research presentations as well as a panel discussion about queerness in research.
June 20 | 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Queer Film Series - Pride
Join the Faculty of Math for their Queer Film Series featuring the movie Pride. Pride is based on a true story about a group of gay and lesbian activists who rally to support the miner's strike in the UK in the 1980s. Normally, movies about mining strikes are not exactly uplifting or heart-warming but this one is!
June 21 | 12:00 - 10:00 PM
Inclusive Menstruation: Understanding Trans Experiences
Location: Online
Join transgender therapist and educator, Washington Silk (they/them), as they talk about menstruation and trans folks! In this special Pride Month edition of the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-racism's Menstrual Equity Lunch and Learn series we’ll learn more about the complex relationship between menstruation and trans bodies.
June 24 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM
A Trauma Informed Lunch and Learn: Supporting the campus communities on the 1 year anniversary of June 28th
Location: Online
Hosted by the Counselling Services 2SLGBTQIA+ Peer Supervisions and Support Group this session led by mental health professionals to help staff and students better support those affected by the incident on June 28th.
June 25 | 1:30 - 3:30 PM
Touring Special Collections: Pride Edition
Location: Dana Porter Library
Join for a guided tour of the closed stacks (or vault) located on the first floor of the Dana Porter Library. After the tour we will adjourn to the Doris Lewis Reading Room where you will have a chance to interact with math crowd pleasers and 2SLGBTQIA+ highlights from the collection, specifically curated by the facilitators in support of the tour!
June 26 | 4:30- 6 PM
SCA Pride Zine Workshop
Join Special Collections & Archives (SCA) in celebrating Pride Month at a Pride Zine Workshop. Learn about the history of zines and DIY publications in the LGBTQ+ community, discover SCA’s latest acquisitions to the Gender, Sexuality and Social Justice collection, and get crafty, making zine pages of your own!
Register here.
June 26 | 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Proud but Precarious: 2SLGBTQ+ Engineering Alumni Perspectives Virtual Panel
Location: Online
Join 2SLGBTQ+ Waterloo Engineering alumni and current students in a conversation about their journey from student to the workplace, how they leverage and navigate their 2SLGBTQ+ identity as current/future engineers, and the historical and emerging challenges facing this community.
June 27 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Unlearning the Binary Workshop
Location: Online
This workshop hosted by EDI-RO aims to help grad students, faculty, and staff understand the historical and contemporary forms of oppression that impact trans and non-binary Black, Indigenous, and racialized identities. Participants will engage in debunking and demystifying conversations regarding trans inclusion, discussing accountability frameworks, and building a toolkit of practices to affirm and uplift trans identities.
June 28 | 1:00 - 1:30 PM
Stand Together: Acknowledging the anniversary of the Hagey Hall attack
Location: Hagey Hall Hub (Founders Hall)
To mark the one-year anniversary of this terrible attack, we invite you to join us to stand together against gender-based violence and all forms of hatred and bigotry in the Hagey Hall Hub (Founders Hall).
The event will include remarks from members of the University community. We must stand in solidarity for our academic mission and in support of everyone who experienced trauma that day or who experienced trauma related to their expression of gender.
June 30 | All-day
Glow: Toronto Pride March
Location: Toronto, ON
Join the Glow as they march in the the annual Toronto Pride Parade! Wear your Pride colours and get ready for a vibrant celebration honouring the 2SLGBTIA+ community. It’s going to be a memorable day, witnessing and commemorating love, inclusivity and diverse identities, histories, cultures, and creating an inclusive experience for all!
Knowledge Gathering and Sharing for 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities
The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism is organizing consultations with 2SLGBTQIA+ students, faculty, staff, and key stakeholders across campus, with particular care and attention given to those who identify as Two-Spirit, Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming (2STNBGNC+). These consultations will inform the development of a comprehensive Trans & Queer Equity Strategy, and they will be facilitated by Washington Silk, a 2SLGBTQ+ Student Support Counsellor in Counselling Services.
Pride 2024 events in the Waterloo Region
For other queer community events during the month of June (pride and non-pride themed) check out this calendar by SPECTRUM
May 31
- City of Waterloo Pride Kick-Off | Celebrate Pride Month in Waterloo Public Square at 11am when the City of Waterloo will unveil their new rainbow crosswalk.
- Kasha Cab - Pride Kickoff Drag Show ($) | Drag show with Kasha Cab and guests at Up Lounge in Waterloo. This is a 19+ event.
- Family Drag Queen Story Time | Join Kasha Czech at the Family Centre in Kitchener for a PD day family-friend drag queen story time hosted by Family & Children's Services of the Waterloo Region.
June 1
- Tri-Pride Summer-Fest | On Saturday June 1st, join Tri-Pride in taking over Willow River Park (formerly known as Victoria Park) in Kitchener for PRIDE, PROTEST & PASSION. With 15+ performances, 100+ local vendors and community organizations + headliner Miz Cracker, it’s Tri-City Pride at its finest.
- Pride Floral Gala ($) | Join Cambridge School of Flowers for charcuterie, door prizes, and a hand-tied bouquet workshops while meeting members and allies of the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Proceeds from each ticket will be donated to Spectrum Waterloo Region.
- Purple Prism Pride Dance ($) | Join the annual Pride Dance hosted by the Rainbow Coalition of Waterloo Region at THEMUSEUM in downtown Kitchener. This year's theme is Purple Prism (19+)
June 2
- Family Pride at THEMUSEUM | Celebrate Pride at THEMUSEUM in downtown Kitchener at their 3rd annual Family Pride.
- Stratford-Perth Pride Festival | After you’ve marched in the Perth County Pride March, join the Stratford-Perth Pride Festival in Upper Queen’s Parkfrom 2pm-6pm for music, vendors, food trucks, children’s games, and more!
June 7
- Together in Pride Ride | Join the City of Kitchener, Spectrum, and OK2BME for a cycling event in Kitchener to help bring visibility to members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities for Pride Month, and attention to cycling in Kitchener for Bike Month.
June 8
- Grand River Pride Street Party | Join Grand River Pride for the second annual Cambridge Pride street party! The day will be filled with activities, market vendors, performers and so much more.
June 15
- Woolwich Pride | Music, food trucks, face painting, live entertainment and more! Join the 2SLGBTQ+ community in celebrating Woolwich Pride, a free, family-friendly event at Gibson Park in Elmira.
June 19
- Pride Walking Tour | Details TBD
June 22
- Pride Market and Rainbow Elders Panel | Join Spectrum at the Schneider Haus for a Pride Market and panel discussion with Rainbow Elders. More details to come.
Find community at Waterloo
Explore the student groups, taskforces and working groups that offer support, resources and community
Organizations
- The Glow Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity is a WUSA student run service and the oldest continually-running university-based 2SLGBTQ+ group in Canada. Organized and run by dedicated coordinators, executives and volunteers who provide a variety of peer support, social events, advocacy work, and resources.
- QTPOC KW is a student-run WUSA club that provides space for individuals at the intersection of 2SLGBTQ+ and racialized (Black, Indigenous, POC) identities to play freely and build community. They focus on hosting community socials, panels, and other events that uplift intersectional identities.
- EngiQueers is the University of Waterloo's branch of EngiQueers Canada. They focus on bringing together LGBTQ+ students in engineering and providing a space where they can feel accepted and at home.
- The Queer-Trans Alliance is open to all UWaterloo students, faculty, staff, and alumni belonging to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are interested in advocacy and community-building
Wellness Programming
These Campus Wellness programs aim to create an inclusive and affirming space for 2SLGBTQIA+ students, by fostering connections with others, personal well-being, and a sense of belonging.
- The Queer and Trans Graduate Students Wellness (QTWELL) group offers graduate students a supportive space to discuss carious aspects of wellness, including intersectional identities, mental health, relationship building and movement in nature.
- As Straight as the Ring Road is a mindfulness focused walking group for all queer and trans students, promoting relationship building and movement in nature.
- A Queer and Pleasant Ragger: A Gender Journeys Group is a thoughtful and supportive group specifically designed to support gender diverse (trans, non-binary, two-spirit, questioning) students, and offers a variety of sessions throughout the term.
Gender & Sexuality Equity Road Map
The office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism has launched a Gender & Sexuality Equity road map for 2024. In this online resource you will fund a structured path - a roadmap - that has been curated to guide you in your learning journey on the topic of gender and sexuality equity.
This roadmap is a flexible guide that you can adapt for your own pace and depth of engagement.
Resources
Explore the resources for support and learning available to our community
- All-gender washrooms list
- Resources for Trans Students | Office of EDI-R
- Gender Affirming Care | Campus Wellness