Queen’s is showing its pride this June through various initiatives, including two newly painted Pride crosswalks on campus.
To mark the beginning of Pride month, Queen’s has repainted two crosswalks in the Progress Pride Flag colours, differing from previous years using rainbow stripes. The
installations are part of an annual visibility initiative that first began in 2022, and include raising the Progress Pride flag, the Positive Space campaign, and more.
One crosswalks has been installed at the intersection of Bader Lane and University Avenue, with the other near the south parking lot off Hargreaves Way on West Campus.
The new flag adds black, brown, light blue, pink, and white chevron shapes to represent racialized, transgender, non-binary people, and people who have been impacted by HIV/AIDS, within
the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Beyond the crosswalks, Queen’s broader Pride Month efforts extend to the raising of the Progress Pride Flag outside the JDUC and student-led initiatives hosted by groups such as
the Yellow House, including their sign-making event held at the beginning of June.
The installations were repainted for the beginning of June, in coordination with Physical Plant Services, which is the department responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the
universities grounds. The project is completed with paint designed to last throughout the summer.
In a Queen’s Gazette article, the University explained that the Progress Pride Flag was selected for its broader representation of gender and racial diversity within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, with Patrick Deane, principal and vice-chancellor, touching on its significance.
“The crosswalks, as well as the Progress Pride flag, indicate this is an inclusive place and that we value and support diversity in our community,” he said in the article.
The newly painted crosswalks are part of Queen’s larger goal to make inclusion visible year-round, something Tony Gkotsis, Queen’s Director of Campus Planning and Real Estate,
stressed in the Queen’s Gazette article.
“Every opportunity we have to create a welcoming environment for all of our population; we need to take those opportunities,” Gkotsis said.
While no ceremony accompanied the repainting this year, the University has confirmed that the efforts for inclusivity and queer visibility, such as the crosswalk, will continue annually as part of its commitment to equity and inclusion.
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