Thursday, October 5, 2023

Progress Pride Flag stickers on their way to all employees

The Faculty Association and Staff Association have teamed up to print and distribute more than 5,000 pride flag stickers to employees. Posting your sticker somewhere visible in your workspace is one small way to show your support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the wake of the hate attacks of June 28 targeting that community. We hope that thousands of pride stickers displayed all over our four campuses will help send the message that all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community belong at UWaterloo.

We've selected the most up-to-date version of the pride flag: the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag. You might be more familiar with the classic six-colour rainbow flag, so here's a bit of history: In 2017, the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs commissioned an updated pride flag with black and brown stripes to represent communities of colour often overlooked in the mainstream LGBTQ+ movement. The Progress Pride Flag soon added white, pink, and light blue stripes to represent the trans community. In 2021, a purple circle on a yellow background was added to represent the intersex community, giving us the current version. You can learn about the whole range of pride and sexual orientation flags on the Human Rights Campaign website.

How to get your sticker: Each unit will get a package of flags to distribute amongst staff and faculty, so talk to whoever handles the mail for your department!

Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ students and colleagues

If you choose to display your sticker and are approached by a student or colleague looking for support:

  1. Listen and acknowledge what they’re experiencing.
  2. Ask if and how you can help.
  3. If they want, refer them to on- or off-campus resources, either for specific supports or to connect with the 2SLBGTQIA+ community.

To equip yourself for better supporting students and colleagues in a range of situations, consider taking training or reviewing resources on:

You can also contact the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) or Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism about custom training for your department.

Referring students and colleagues to services and supports

Depending on the situation, you might refer someone to a range of on- or off-campus services:

STUDENTS: If they’re looking for community

  • The Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity is a student group with a physical space in the Student Life Centre. GLOW offers social events, online resources, Trans Student Bursaries, and peer support appointments.
  • Waterloo Womxn + Nonbinary Wednesdays is a social and support network of womxn and nonbinary grad students, post-docs, staff, and faculty.
  • QTPOC KW is a student-run club that provides the space for individuals at the intersection of 2SLGBTQ+ and racialized (Black, Indigenous, POC) identities to play freely and build community.
  • 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 Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre (WISC) is a friendly space on campus for Indigenous (First Nation, Inuit, and Metis) students and members of the Kitchener-Waterloo community. WISC is located in United College at the University of Waterloo.
  • Willow River Centre is a group of TwoSpirit IndigiQueer folx and queer/trans or LGBTQ+ settler accomplices located at 243 King St. E., Kitchener.
  • The Gender and Sexual Diversity Alliance is open to all UWaterloo students, faculty, staff, and alumni belonging to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are interested in advocacy and community-building.
  • Find more in The Missing Manual post about Waterloo’s resources for the 2SLGBTQ+ community

STUDENTS: If they need support 

University of Waterloo resources

Community resources

  • Here 24/7 is a first point of contact for addictions, mental health, and crisis services provided by 11 agencies across Waterloo Wellington.
  • SPECTRUM is an organization that serves, affirms, and supports the well-being of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in Waterloo Region and the broader community through peer support, community partnerships, education and training, resources, and events. 
  • LGBT YouthLine is a *2SLGBTQ+ youth-led organization that affirms and supports the experiences of youth (29 and under) across Ontario by providing anonymous peer support and referrals and providing resources so youth can make informed decisions. 
  • OK2BME is a set of supportive services for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) and questioning kids, teens, adults, and their families in Waterloo Region.

COLLEAGUES: If they’re looking for community

  • The Gender and Sexual Diversity Alliance is open to all UWaterloo students, faculty, staff, and alumni belonging to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are interested in advocacy and community-building.
  • Pride Circles are informal discussions open to all faculty and staff at the University of Waterloo who identify as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Contact Jeremy Steffler for information.
  • Waterloo Womxn + Nonbinary Wednesdays is a social and support network of womxn and nonbinary grad students, post-docs, staff, and faculty.
  • Willow River Centre is a group of TwoSpirit IndigiQueer folx and queer/trans or LGBTQ+ settler accomplices located at 243 King St. E., Kitchener.

COLLEAGUES: If they need support

  • Homewood Health is the provider for our Employee and Family Assistance Program. The program provides short-term, confidential counselling that includes face-to-face (flexible hours), telephone or online sessions. Call 1-800-663-1142 or visit Homeweb.ca to access.
    • You will need the customer account (University of Waterloo) and the invitation code (UAL823) when registering for Homewood’s online services.