Pride Season is a term that refers to the wide range of Pride events that take place over the summer (June to September) when LGBTQ2 communities and allies come together to spotlight the resilience, celebrate the talent, and recognize the contributions of LGBTQ2 communities. Although special attention is put on the Pride events during the summer months, they happen throughout the year in many communities.
Historically, Pride gatherings emerged from the first large-scale protests for LGBTQ2 rights. In Canada, the first demonstrations took place in Ottawa and Vancouver in 1971. By 1973, Pride events were held in several Canadian cities, including Montréal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Toronto’s Pride weekend in June is now among the largest Pride events in North America.
During this season, the Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) is celebrating Pride Month in July. They participate in the activities including the Halifax Pride Festival. This festival is an annual 11 day gathering in the Halifax Regional Municipality for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. It features over 150 community and Pride organized events celebrating the history, culture, activism, and perseverance of the queer community.
One of the activities that the university will be participating is to be part of the Pride Parade which will be taking place on July 16 at noon. On July 20, the university will also host Pride BBQ as a celebration of Pride in campus.
According to Sheila Brown PhD, MSVU Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, the university fully supports the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. They embrace all sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. The university is grateful for the contributions of MSVU community members engaged in 2SLGBTQIA+ research, course delivery and development, support services, and advocacy.
Part of the initiative of the university is the involvement of 2SLGBTQIA+ (Pride Advocacy) Committee in projects like the pronoun campaign, and events such as the film screening of UNSETTLED: Seeking Refuge in America with a virtual Q&A with filmmaker Tom Shepard. They have also created opportunities for education, including, for example, an online course for MSVU faculty and staff called ReThinking Gender: Trans Inclusive Spaces and Practices.
The Progress Pride Flag will also be raised in the university campus as part of this year’s Pride celebration.
More to this story at https://www.msvu.ca/marking-pride-month-2022/
References:
https://www.msvu.ca
https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/
https://www.halifaxpride.com/
Photo by Eduardo Pastor on Unsplash
