As a showing of the campus’ inclusivity towards all groups, Lethbridge College has declared Wednesday as Pride Day. The student-led initiative is a day-long celebration featuring a flag raising, guest speaker and information sessions.
The idea of a Pride Day that takes place during the academic year was put forward by the Lethbridge College Students’ Association’s LGBTQ+ Club and was endorsed by college leadership.
“Our campus-wide Pride Day in September is an important celebration to showcase to new students that our campus strives for inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals,” says Zachary Wigand, vice president of the LCSA LGBTQ+ Club. “When (LGBTQ+ club president) Tara Ludman and I came to campus, we didn’t think campus was accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals. We were strongly mistaken, but we don’t want new and returning students to feel the way we did. We want them to feel accepted and welcomed at the college and this is a small part of how we are doing that.”
Pride Day will begin with the raising of the Pride Flag in front of campus at 8:30 a.m. The Pride Flag has flown outside of the college in conjunction with the Lethbridge-wide Pride Fest for each of the past three Junes, but this is the first time it will fly during the academic year, when the majority of Lethbridge College students are on campus.
At noon, the LGBTQ+ Club will host guest speaker Boban Stojanovic in the Cave. A human rights advocate, Stojanovic and his partner fled their native Serbia in 2016 and claimed refugee status in Canada. He now works with other LGBTQ+ newcomers to Canada to help them transition to a new life in their new country.
The college’s Health and Shepell Counselling Services is also teaming up with ARCHES to provide three information and training sessions throughout the day. Sessions include LGBTQ+ Awareness and How to Be an Ally, Queer 102, and The Birds and the Birds and the Bees and the Bees, which are open to all college students and employees.
"Lethbridge College is committed to providing a safe and inclusive campus to all students,” says Lethbridge College President and CEO Dr. Paula Burns. “Last week, we opened our new Pride Lounge, and we’ve raised the Pride flag in conjunction with the city of Lethbridge’s Pride Week each of the past three years. This summer, we also marched in the Pride parade for the first time and created gender non-specific washrooms on campus. These are all different but meaningful ways to show our institution’s inclusivity.”