People of pride

For many queer people, finding friends and a social support system can be alienating and stressful. Brock Pride is the official group for LGBTQ youth on campus and offers a safe environment for all genders and sexual identities.

"We are primarily a social organization, however one of our goals for the year is to increase our presence on campus," said Brandon Vrysen, Vice President of Administration at Brock Pride. "We educate people about pride-related issues through events such as the Health Fair, and through our monthly movie nights."

This year, the executive committee of Brock Pride has changed to include several fresh faces. This is Vrysen's first year of administrative duties, as well as for the group's President Aimée Wright. Both were prior members that have taken on greater responsibility in order to help spread the club's message.

"We provide support through our monthly events and our weekly meetings," said Vrysen. "We also work closely with the Office of Human Rights and Equity, as well as the Student Justice Centre on campus, and have a partnership with OutNiagara and its affiliate pride organizations to reach out to the greater community."

Although other organizations such as Queer Action Niagara and the Student Justice Centre are available to assist with Brock Pride's networking, local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) groups still often face issues of discrimination.

"Brock Pride tables or events often face avoidance, due to a fear-based association," said Vrysen. "Additionally, members of the Pride community often face stigma. While things are better than they once were, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a queer individual who has not experienced some sort of prejudice or harassment."

Brock Pride strives to be a club for allies to discuss their gender and sexual identities. Rather than attempting to affect change as an activist group, many LGBTQ students merely need to feel safe discussing their problems.

"Fighting oppression doesn't need to be a massive protest. Although many of our partners do fight oppression in this way, Brock Pride is more focused on providing an atmosphere of acceptance," said Vrysen. "In general, people should be the change they wish to see in the World. If you want to end oppression, then stop oppressing. If everyone took this stance and stood up for each other then a lot of these problems would be solved."

Brock Pride will also be hosting the Ontario Student Pride Conference from March 9 - 10. This event will feature guest speakers, presentations, seminars and workshops on various queer topics. The Saturday night of the conference will include their annual Pride dance, as a way to celebrate the LGBTQ community from across the province.

If you need a place to express queer-related issues, Brock Pride offers an opportunity to meet lots of other like-minded people. They host weekly meetings for people that may have questions, or that just want to vent about their lives.

For more information, please visit brockpride.ca