With Pride Month just around the corner, Brock is gearing up to host several events to celebrate and support the vibrant and diverse communities on campus and across Niagara.

The University, which also celebrated Pride Week in March, will raise its Pride flag at noon on Thursday, June 5. All members of the Brock community are invited to join the flag raising ceremony in front of Schmon Tower.

The ceremony coincides with the third annual Speaking with Pride event, hosted by Pride Niagara and Brock Professional and Continuing Studies (Brock PCS) with support from other University units.

“Brock University is committed to breaking down barriers to and through education,” says Arja Vainio-Mattila, Provost and Vice-President, Academic. “Speaking with Pride is one way in which we are working together toward a more equitable and inclusive future for all. We hope the community will join us for this important and informative event.”

The professional development event, which is free and open to the public, will feature a keynote by Sonali (Alyy) Patel, an author, scholar and activist focusing on intersectionality. The keynote will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.

Sonali (Alyy) Patel is set to be the keynote speaker at the Speaking with Pride 2025 event hosted at Brock University on Thursday, June 5. Patel, the author of “Don’t Tell My Parents: Queer Diasporic Truths,” will also run one of the learning sessions for the event.

Following the keynote, attendees will be able to choose from three in-person breakout learning sessions organized by Brock PCS. Topics include practicing intersectionality at work, diversity and mental health, and understanding Niagara’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Attendees — along with all Brock students, faculty and staff — can also learn more the University’s community-facing departments and services during an information fair starting at 11:30 a.m. in the Rankin Family Pavilion.

“Working with Brock University to host initiatives like Speaking with Pride is crucial for fostering a safe, inclusive, learning environment for our 2SLGBTQ+ community in Niagara to establish professional and personal networking skills,” says Enzo DeDivitiis, Chair of Pride Niagara. “Queer identity is not something inherently visible though a professional and educational lens; Speaking with Pride changes that and sets a higher precedence.”

Brock PCS event lead Jonathan Belgrave (BAcc ’10), Marketing Manager for Brock PCS, came up with the idea for Speaking with Pride through his volunteer work with Pride Niagara and attending other 2SLGBTQ+ professional development events in Toronto.

“Niagara has a diverse working population and is a welcoming community. There are many individuals who are part of the pride community and their allies who want to learn more and support each other,” he says. “Speaking with Pride fills a gap of professional queer events in Niagara and I’m proud that Pride Niagara and Brock University can work together to service the community.”

While Speaking with Pride is free and open to all members of the community to attend, space is limited and registration is required, including for virtual streaming provided by BrockTV. More information can be found on the Brock PCS website. Questions about the event can be directed to [email protected] or [email protected]

Also taking place on campus is the Pride Niagara Hieee Tea event, presented by CAA Niagara, which will feature a panel of 2SLGBTQ+ community members answering  audience questions on Sunday, June 8 in the Goodman Atrium. Details are available on the Pride Niagara website.