Brock University is gearing up to celebrate and support its vibrant and diverse communities on campus with a range of activities beginning on Monday, March 24.

Held every year, Pride Week is an opportunity to foster a safe and social environment for the Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) communities and their allies at Brock.

This year’s Pride Week events have been organized and are hosted by Brock’s Student Justice Centre, the Office of Human Rights and Equity (HRE), the Sexual Violence Prevention Committee, Brock Pride Club, Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU), Centre for Pedagogical Innovation, Student Wellness and Accessibility Services and Student Life and Succes.

“We have worked on creating lots of events this year that celebrate diverse members of the queer community here at Brock,” said Brock Pride President Barbara Kuchar.

While the University also celebrates the globally recognized Pride Month annually in June, Kuchar said Pride Week programming complements Brock’s events in June and provides additional opportunities to learn and celebrate together while many students are still on campus.

Following the success of BUSU’s annual Drag Show and Pasta Bar, this year’s Pride Week programming will take more than seven days to celebrate and begins with a workshop on “Redefining Masculinity: Deconstructing Harmful Norms” on March 24 from 3 to 4 p.m. in TH 253B. A variety of workshops, learning opportunities and social events will round out the rest of the programming.

Celebrations will conclude with a Queer Cook Along on Monday, March 31 and Pride Prom event on Friday, April 4.

Additional activities include, but are not limited to:

• A Paint Your Pride craft making event on March 24 in the Makerspace.
• A Queer Care: A Guide to Personal Wellness workshop on Tuesday, March 25 from noon to 1 p.m. in TH 249.
• Puppies for Pride, featuring the Therapaws Therapy Dogs, on March 25 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in RFP 214/215.
• An online Beyond the Reading List: Pedagogies of Inclusion workshop on March 25.
• An online Queering Consent workshop on Wednesday, March 26 from noon to 1 p.m.
• An online 2S&LGBTQ Perspectives on Gender-Based Violence workshop on Thursday, March 27 from noon to 1 p.m.
• A Debunked: Gender Affirming Care Myths Workshop on March 27 from 1 to 2 p.m. in TH 253B.

“Pride Week is a powerful reminder that love, identity and community deserve celebration — a time to honour the resilience of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and to reaffirm our collective commitment to equity, inclusion and justice,” said Katie Keays, Manager, Gender and Sexual Violence Intake in Brock’s HRE.

Students seeking support for mental and physical health issues related to gender and sexual violence and healthy relationships can access Peer 2 Peer support b y visiting the drop-in space located in TH 128A from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday.

To learn more or to register for an event visit the Brock Pride and Brock Pride Week pages on ExperienceBU.