On September 15, TRUSU held their 16th annual Pride parade and resource fair. The Omega marched and strutted alongside alumni, allies and fellow queens for an afternoon filled with love and celebration.
The drizzly afternoon event commenced with the resource fair, allowing 2SLGBTQIA+ students and community members connect with on-campus services and resources. One of the many resources present was the Gender and Sexual Diversity (GSD) office, headed by manager Noah Fischer. GSD is an on-campus service that provides students with access to free gender and sexuality affirming services and resources.
In his on-stage remarks, Fischer noted that his department’s success constitutes significant growth for the institution–a fact he is grateful to witness as a long-term Kamloops resident.
“I was born and raised in Kamloops,” Fischer said. “My mom actually worked [at TRU] as a Spanish professor. So I always felt like I was growing up here and kind of building a connection to the campus community before I was even a student.”
Fischer went on to talk about the development of GSD, and how the department operates against the backdrop of the classic Kamloops-charm. “I think that what I would say is that Kamloops, as a city, has a long way to go… I would love to see more local queer businesses.”
The resource fair and parade also featured a speech by TRUSU LGBTQ+ representative and graduate student Ximena Maldonado Chavez, who shared her experience coming into her identity and dealing with homophobic backlash.
Chavez, an international student, moved the crowd to near tears as she shared her story of coming into her identity as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“I waited [to come out] until I could support myself, until I no longer needed permission to exist. Until I saw people brave enough to live openly. All of that gave me courage,” she said. For her, Pride is a demonstration that community and representation matters. “To see that we no longer stand alone, to see that you are here. To know that we have a safety net, means the world.”
Some discrimination is loud in the quietest ways. Sometimes, it’s just enough to remind you that you’re still wondering whether it’s safe to simply exist.
– Ximena Chavez, TRUSU LGBTQ+ rep
Chavez declared that Pride is an ongoing commitment toward achieving equality, pointing toward the rise of homophobic rhetoric on both the global and national stage, “Some discrimination is loud in the quietest ways. Sometimes, it’s just enough to remind you that you’re still wondering whether it’s safe to simply exist.”
Coming from Mexico, Chavez is unfortunately no stranger to hiding her authentic self. But as we learn, time and time again, hate knows no borders.
“[In Canada], my partner and I were in a cab, and I gently touched her face. The driver went from chatty to silent in less than a second”.
Then again, love also pervades borders. Chavez went on to deliver a heartfelt message to those present as allies in solidarity, and to those wrestling with their identities.
“People wonder if they still belong, and people ask whether the progress we’ve made can disappear. That is exactly why we cannot afford to become silent again. This is why all of [the allies] here are so important for us. To everyone who is still questioning, to every person who is not ready to come out yet. You belong, you matter, and you exist. The future of our communities [will not] be built by hate,” said Chavez.
TRU president Airini was also present for the the event, adorned rainbow-coloured regalia.
“Pride says out loud what needs to be said; that pride came from the courage to march for equal rights and protections. And we still have to stand together. We still have to do this work, because rights are yet to be experienced by all,” said Airini.
The president also made it clear that TRU has a commitment to research in human rights and social justice, law and other fields that are integral to the protection of equality. However, neither protest nor research alone can build equality.
“Faculty, staff, [and leaders] are here today because we agree that, together, we can make a difference,” said Airini. “We will make a difference through what we do and what we say every day. Pride at TRU is about showing up to show support for freedom and the right to feel safe. We honour today all those who have the blisters on their hands from this hard work.
Although pride is a moment to celebrate the freedoms won, it also serves as an act of protest in remembrance of how the movement began–as a riot. And no two stories are the same. Love, gender and sexuality look different for everyone, but central to TRUSU Pride is a TRU community that celebrates belonging, respect, and self-love.