For years, Queen’s has raised a Pride flag. This year, the University held a ceremony to celebrate that tradition.
Kicking off Pride Month at Queen’s on June 1, the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag, the most inclusive Pride flag to date representing all groups under the 2SLGBTQIA+, was raised in front of a crowd of around 200 onlookers.
The flag has been raised for several years now, but Vice-Principal, Culture, Equity, and Inclusion (CEI) Stephanie Simpson identified a gap in which the progress the University has made with Pride was going unrecognized and as such, dedicated a ceremony to the flag’s raising.
During her speech, Simpson, said the flag acts as a “reminder of the work that has been done, that continues to be done, and the work that needs to be done.” All of this, Simpson said, is to ensure people thrive at the University.
AMS Vice-President (University Affairs) Edward Sy also gave a speech reflecting on their experience as a queer and gender-diverse student, accessing Yellow House services for the first time and finding community within those yellow walls.
Sy called for action saying “for everyone that walks by this pole, I ask that you see this Pride flag as a promise, rather than a performance, to invest in our future leaders of society, who will then continue the fight for those who come after.”
In an interview with The Journal, Simpson said protecting queer spaces comes down to avoiding complacency, instead arguing the University should strive for more inclusivity and progress.
Alexandra Pedersen, co-chair for the Principal’s Action Group for Gender and Sexual Diversity (PAGGAS), said the raising of the flag is a “great success for visibility at Queen’s.” She described Queen’s as a space where you can be your authentic self, and that is a kind of joy she hopes to share.
Pedersen also sees the gaps Queen’s still must fill; she said the aim of PAGGAS is to “bridge the gaps to make sure people are included in working and learning spaces.”
As both a current staff member and alumnus, Pedersen describes Queen’s as a place that has taken both “steps forward and steps backward,” acknowledging the people in the past that have pushed for change while also noting the pushback change has received.
Simpson described Queen’s as being on a “forward path with [diversity, equity, and inclusion], and it matters to so many people in the community that we’re present and we’re standing up for [their] rights.”
Pedersen credits the Simpson’s office as part of why the University is in a season of embracing visibility, describing Simpson as a person in her corner to support this kind of change.
Pedersen also warns that “without an office to ensure equity and inclusion we could see more backsliding like we see across the country.”
Tags
2SLGBTQIA+, Flag raising, Pride flag, Pride month
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