Messages to Celebrate Pride Week 2017

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Pride week is a time to celebrate our shared humanity, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. It is a time to reflect on our past, on the struggles that members of the LGBTQ2 community have faced and the courage and tenacity of those, like our board chair Michael Phair, who fought so hard to achieve legal equality. And it is a time to look to the future and consider the role that each of us can play to ensure that all people achieve full equality in all aspects of their lives.

University of Alberta Pride Week is a time to come together as a campus community that believes in the values of diversity, equity, and human rights. During this week of fun-filled activities and educational events, we strive to acknowledge and celebrate the growing diversity and unique talents and contributions of our sexual and gender minority and allied students, staff, and faculty who live, learn, work, and play on our campuses.

- Chancellor Douglas Stollery

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To me Pride Week at the U of A is about celebration! It’s a week where campus communities come together in celebration of our diversity and our commitment to inclusivity. Together we celebrate our ongoing work in creating safe and welcoming spaces that are respectful of all members at the U of A.

- Stephanie Grant, Community Social Work Team

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Pride Week is an important time to celebrate what the LGBTQ+ community has achieved in the pursuit of equity, and also to reflect on what more we have to do. So many voices are still left out of the conversation, and every year it’s exciting to see more programming that specifically celebrates trans and non-binary identities, QTIPOC folks, and other marginalized groups. The University of Alberta cares about not just highlighting the LGBTQ+ community, but giving us a platform to celebrate our successes and advocate for our future.

- Cody Bondarchuk — Chair, The Landing Board of Directors

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Pride Week at UAlberta is a celebration and recognition of not only the diversity of our campus community but also a larger societal shift — a shift towards equity and unity. Having a sense of the perspectives and experiences of those around us fosters compassion. Celebrating and embracing Pride states clearly that only respect, acceptance, love and kindness will be tolerated here.

Sarah Flower — Advisor, Safe Disclosure and Human Rights| Program Consultant and EFAP, Human Resource Services

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I think of Pride Week as part of an ongoing project — it’s another way we can stand up and express our support for diversity and inclusion.

David Turpin — President and Vice-Chancellor

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Pride reflects what the University of Alberta aspires to be: Diverse, inclusive, and open to freedom of expression in all forms. The vibe entrenched in the Pride Movement is so powerful and yet so simple: “just be yourself.” It speaks to us all!

Melanie Lewis — Professor of Pediatrics; Associate Dean, Learner Advocacy and Wellness (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry)

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When you see the colours of the rainbow pride flag shine brightly across our campuses, it will also be important to remember that each colour has a unique and symbolic meaning.

Red is for life.

Orange is for healing.

Yellow is for sunlight.

Green is for nature.

Blue is for harmony.

Purple is for spirit.

For me, these colours also represent the core values of our university community. They remind us that it is our diversity which makes us such a vibrant and welcoming university. We are an inclusive community where every person is entitled to feel safe, welcome, and fully supported for who they are. I hope everyone will be able to participate in at least one Pride Week event. Let’s challenge ourselves to move beyond our individual comfort zones and echo chambers. Let’s create the opportunity to learn something new about ourselves and others. And, most importantly, let’s have fun and celebrate!

Dr. Kristopher Wells — Faculty Director, Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services

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Inclusivity and respect are key values in our University Community. Pride week is a great expression of our diversity, and diversity is critical to the University’s mission.

André Costopoulos — Vice-Provost and Dean of Students

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Pride Week is a time where our community comes together to celebrate the diversity of the U of A community, from students to faculty and staff members. We have a large community here, so we often garner interest from the greater Edmonton and Alberta population too. Working for the Students’ Union has shown me a lot about how society can be heteronormative at times, which is why I think we need events like Pride Week at the U of A.

Fahim Rahman — President, University of Alberta Students’ Union

The University of Alberta’s Pride Week 2017 runs until Saturday, March 11. Visit the Institute of Sexual Minorities Studies and Services’ website to see the full list of events.

Happy Pride!