With Brock University’s Pride Week celebrations this past March some of the biggest yet, Alana Lowe says it is just as important to provide opportunities for participation in June’s globally recognized Pride Month.

“These events are not just about recognizing the progress made but also about acknowledging the work that still needs to be done,” says Lowe, Manager of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Education and Outreach in Brock’s Human Rights and Equity (HRE) office.

“Pride Month is an opportunity to honour the contributions and resilience of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, fostering a culture of acceptance and solidarity,” she says. “It’s crucial for us to create spaces where everyone feels seen, valued and supported.”

Brock’s Pride Month programming will kick-off at noon on Thursday, June 6 with raising of the University’s modified all-inclusive flag.

The flag raising will be followed by the second annual Speaking With Pride event, which is presented by Pride Niagara in partnership with Brock University’s Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS). The free event takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. on campus.

Pride Niagara Chair Enzo De Divitiis says that working with Brock to host initiatives like Speaking With Pride creates safer spaces for the development of professional and personal skills and removes barriers to inclusion.

“Queer identity is not something inherently visible though a professional and educational lens,” De Divitiis says. “Education is an ongoing process; education and understanding of not only others and marginalized communities, but ourselves. Equity, diversity and inclusion can only be successful when working in tangent.”

Brock PCS Marketing Manager Jonathan Belgrave (BAcc ’10) says that, as a business professional living in Niagara, he noticed there was a gap in events in Niagara for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to learn and network in a professional capacity.

“Being part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community does not define you, but being able to feel confident and safe to bring that part of yourself into your professional life and champion your own professional achievements, or those of other diverse individuals in the workplace, is incredibly valuable,” he says.

Brock McGillis, a former Ontario Hockey League goaltender and the first openly gay men’s professional hockey player, will explore the theme of championing diversity as this year’s Speaking With Pride keynote speaker.

McGillis hosts a digital series with World of Wonder, the creator of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and is certified in equity, diversity and inclusion through Cornell University. He will also run a breakout session on building diversity in an organization during the event.

The Speaking With Pride keynote address is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to register as soon as possible.

Deb Pearce, who was the host of the opening ceremonies of World Pride, will also run a breakout session designed to help individuals build their capacity and knowledge of activism and advocacy in the Pride community.

“Many organizations and individuals are looking to increase their diversity and inclusion, and EDI is becoming one of those skills that people of all levels in an organization need to have in their toolkit,” Belgrave says.

Registration is also open now for Brock’s Introduction to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) course, a half-day instructional opportunity that runs on June 26, 2024. Registration is available here.

The Brock University Library will also have special resources available during Pride Month, including the Reading out Proud collection, which consists of a series of books, ebooks, films and streaming video that take an intersectional approach to examining 2SLGBTQ+ life and issues such as race, disability, class and politics. Pride-themed colouring sheets will also be available.