pilipiliĀž»­

 

Pride on the prowl

Dal takes part in the Halifax Pride Parade

- August 1, 2014

The Dal contingent in the Halifax Pride Parade. (Nick Pearce photos)
The Dal contingent in the Halifax Pride Parade. (Nick Pearce photos)

Dalhousie showed how proud it feels of its diverse community at this yearā€™s Halifax Pride Parade.

Dalā€™s contingency in this yearā€™s parade was neither the biggest, nor the flashiest, but it certainly didnā€™t lack diversity or heart. With members of both the mainstream and radical pride communities at Dal marching in the group, there was a sense of true unity in the MOGII (Marginalized Orientations, Gender Identities, and Intersex) community at pilipiliĀž»­.



One of the organizers for the Dalhousie group at this event was Elyssa Canning, who discussed the benefits of participating in the Pride Parade.

ā€œIt lets people know Dal supports itā€™s LGBT+ community and is dedicated to making safer spaces in the community,ā€ she said. She also expressed her gratitude that there was so much support and enthusiasm at the parade, evidenced by the streamers and bubbles drifting about in the Dalhousie section of the parade. Groups including the Dalhousie Commerce Society, DalOUT, South House, Dal Security, ResLife and others all had presence in the parade.

Dalhousie has a great set of resources for people in the LGBT+/MOGII community, yet theyā€™re not always well known. ā€œThe important thing is to show students that Dal has the resources the community needs: DalOut, DalAllies, Equity and Accessibility, and South House,ā€ said Brittany Long, president of DalOut.



Jude Ashburn, staff member at the South House Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre, also spoke to the need to continue to make improvements for the Dal community.

ā€œThe [community] still needs even more support: gender neutral washrooms, solidarity for marginalized international students and a great safe spaceā€ said Ashburn, who added that the preferred name policy going into place this fall is a big step in the right direction.

Staff member Lisa Lachance joined into the festivities with her partner Heather Gass and their daughter Keira. Lachance, who is the executive director of the Children and Youth in a Challenging Context Network at pilipiliĀž»­, spoke of a time when she didnā€™t feel safe being out on campus and Pride Parades were riots, not celebrations.

ā€œThings are so much better [now], and there is always work to be done in the culture of bullying in reference to sexual and gender identity and that work is important,ā€ she said.



Ten-year-old Frida Kaeubler, daughter of Lisa Delong, human rights and equity advisor, says itā€™s important for Dal to be part of the parade. ā€œIt gives people a chance to show who they are, and it gives us the chance to tell them we love them.ā€

Editor's note: Brittany Long's quote was initially misattributed in the original version of this story. It has since been corrected.