Celebrating Pride Month: Flags raised across U of T's three campuses

The University of Toronto marked the start of Pride month on June 1 by raising the Progress Pride Flag across its three campuses.

At Varsity Stadium on the St. George campus, the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) and the Institutional Equity Office, hosted their annual flag-raising ceremony. 

In her remarks, KPE Dean Gretchen Kerr noted that June is also National Indigenous History Month. 

“We are keenly aware of the exclusion experienced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada and their struggle to resist and overcome it,” said Kerr, who is also a professor in the faculty. “This resilience is also a core strength of 2SLGBTQ+ communities and is being relied on today in several battles for inclusivity on the sports field.”

She added that raising of the Progress Pride flag over the Varsity stadium signals KPE’s continued support for 2SLGBTQ+ communities and serves as a reminder of the kinds of inclusive environments we should all be striving for where homophobia, biphobia and transphobia have no place − and every person is supported toward achieving their full potential.

Trevor Young, U of T vice-president and provost, said during the Varsity Stadium ceremony that he was old enough to remember when being both proud and 2SLGBTQIA+ seemed little more than a fantasy.  

“When I was young, I could never have envisioned a moment like this,” said Young. “But now here we are – and I honestly couldn’t be prouder of U of T and of all the students, staff, faculty members and alumni who have contributed to building an institution that is rich with queer history, advocacy, talent, experience and community.”

At U of T Scarborough, the Progress Pride Flag was raised in front of the Arts & Administration Building during a ceremony that included a poetry reading followed by a courtyard celebration with food, giveaways and interactive displays, as well as a welcome table set up by the Positive Space Committee.  

“As we raise the Pride Progress Flag, we celebrate the resilience, advocacy, joy and contributions of 2SLGBTQ+ communities at UTSC, across U of T and beyond,” said Soph Dhrolia, assistant director of equity, diversity and inclusion office. 

“We commit ourselves to creating a campus where every student, staff member, faculty member and librarian can belong.”  

U of T Mississauga, meanwhile, raised the Progress Pride flag outside the William G. Davis building, where community members gathered to reflect on the courage, diversity, history and resilience of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

U of T Vice-President and Principal of U of T Mississauga Alexandra Gillespie said Pride Month is an opportunity to consider how the world has changed since the 1969 Stonewall protests in New York City – and also has not changed, noting that being gay is still against the law in more than 60 countries.

Stonewall is considered the catalyst of the modern Pride movement, led by those who “never knew reality to live authentically as themselves without breaking the law,” said Gillespie, who also noted the arrival of Indigenous History Month and how the two groups are often allied in empathy. 

“The odds change, because people change them. Generations of LGBTQ+ leaders including Black, Indigenous and racialized communities pushed towards equity and stood up for what is right.

“So this month comes with the opportunity for reflection and action, as we celebrate the beauty, vibrance and joy of Pride and Indigenous history, as we acknowledge and find new ways to purse the work that makes it possible.”

In his remarks at the Varsity Stadium ceremony, Young stressed that U of T’s commitment to equity and inclusion is not new: in 1969, the first gay and lesbian group at any Canadian university was established at U of T; in 1999, U of T created the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Resources & Programs Office (now the Sexual and Gender Diversity Office), which was also the first of its kind at a Canadian university; and in the 1990s, U of T became one of the first major employers in Canada to extend pension benefits to same-sex couples. 

This year, U of T is also marking the 30^th anniversary of the Positive Space campaign – an initiative that led the way for similar campaigns at universities and institutions across North America. 

“Now, I don’t want to make it seem like all of these initiatives came about without dissent or struggle,” said Young. “This progress was hard-won – by our community and our allies who paved the path for equity, respect and pride here at U of T. Today, I want to affirm the university’s abiding commitment to those values to everyone who happens to look up this month and see our Progress Pride flag flying alongside those of Canada and the University of Toronto. 

“Let’s never take our freedoms for granted and always be proud of who we are.” 

- With files from Don Campbell and Kate Martin

Read more about the Varsity Stadium event at KPE