For years, the TRUSU Pride Club has been pushing for the inclusion and representation of 2SLGBTQI+ students at TRU. The club, headed by President Payton Hiebert and VP Jessie Dhillon, is dedicated to organizing events, fostering community, and promoting the interests of its members.
The club’s ongoing project, Queer Connections, began in January 2020. It is an 18+ social gathering that brings together members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community—both students and non-students—for a few hours bi-weekly. The event’s main focus is to create an environment where participants can socialize, form friendships, and experience a sense of belonging.
“My partner actually told me about the event,” said Ruby Tremblay, a student from the Electrician Trades program. “They had some faculty come into one of their classes and give a talk about different student resources. They mentioned that there was a queer community event, so I looked it up online; I figured it’d be fun to go to.”
Queer Connections has grown over the years, and a large part of that can be attributed to word-of-mouth cases like Tremblay’s. “I think that’s pretty important,” said Marcus Allard, accounting major and frequent Queer Connections attendee. “Because [word of mouth] is how I find out about most events. I don’t have an Instagram, and that’s where a lot of TRU-specific things are posted. So whenever people around me mention these things off-hand, I’d be like, ‘Hey, what was that? Could you tell me more?’ And that’s basically how I get my information.”
“If you’re invited by someone you know,” Allard added, “It’s easier. Because you’re with someone familiar, and there’s a lot less pressure.”
The importance of this community space is clear to its members, who have attested to general feelings of isolation among the larger TRU community and difficulties finding friends.
“If it weren’t for Queer Connections, I wouldn’t talk to anybody,” said Kyle Rougheau, who majors in software engineering. “I don’t really talk to my classmates; I’m kind of in and out of TRU. So it’s nice to have something to actually stop me.”
“It was really fun to talk with people,” added Tremblay, who is new to Kamloops. “I was happy to go out and talk to strangers for the first time in a while.”
The events occur between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. every other week at the Wellness and Inclusion Space (OM 1522), which was recently moved from the UPREP room (OM 2551). During the winter semester, the club will shift to hosting events from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. They sometimes begin with short, educational presentations about 2SLGBTQI+ topics before attendees participate in whatever activity is planned.
The event’s activities differ every time, ranging from board games to watch parties, gaming tournaments to crafting, and more. “There have been movie nights, origami, paintings, pumpkin painting,” Allard said. “There was a sound bath—like meditation—a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty relaxing.”
The event’s dynamic offerings mean there is always something to look forward to and something new to explore.
Attendees of Queer Connections see it as a place of possibility where new relationships can be built which will carry on beyond the walls of the classroom.
“I think Queer Connections has gotten me to come to TRU for more than just the classes,” Allard said. “It’s gotten me to hang around more, which is nice. It gets me to talk to more people.”
“I still have a couple of months before I start my program, so I’ve been hoping to just make some friends,” Tremblay said. “It’s very helpful to make a few queer friends when I know my program is likely to be sparse with them.”
For Queer Connections attendees, the future of the community looks bright, and its impact cannot be understated. They encourage students on the edge to take the leap and make an appearance. “You’re never gonna be in an awkward spot,” Rougeau said. “They specifically design it so that, even if you’re on your own, you’ve got something to do.”
For the past seven years, the TRUSU Pride Club has been petitioning for the creation of a dedicated queer space. In a previous conversation with The Omega, Hiebert said such a space could create a sense of togetherness and community. The envisioned ‘Pride Centre’ is to be an accessible space dedicated to the queer-identifying community of TRU, where 2SLGBTQI+ people can safely express themselves, explore, and contribute without fear of discrimination or rejection. To support this petition, you can follow the link here.
To learn more about Queer Connections, visit their event page here. You can also check out the TRUSU Pride Club page here for information about their offerings, events, and contacts.