The CSU’s Queer Collective presents Pride Week
Melissa Gibbons // Contributor
Aurora D’arrigo // Illustrator
The CSU Queer Collective is inviting students around campus to honour and celebrate pride from Mar. 16 to 20.
Michaela Volpe, CSU Queer Students’ Liaison, has worked with members of the Queer Collective with a $1050 budget to bring a week of fun and educational activities. “It is important to show queer students on campus that we stand with them, and we want to celebrate our existence,” Volpe said. Activities will include a knitting workshop, a drag showcase, a queer film screening and multiple workshops within the collective space, including one on queer history and variety of games.
This is Volpe’s third consecutive year planning this event. She noted that every year is different and there is a lot of fun involved in the making. “Getting to do tons of different events, workshops and then introduce new students to the queer collective is always the best part.”
Volpe added that Capilano University is still behind on several institutional policies that need to be addressed for the LGBTQ2S+ community. She suggested that the University should work and collaborate with the queer community on policies to protect queer students.
Volpe added that there are problems with homophobic professors and name changes in the system that students require but that aren’t prioritized. “A lot of the faculty still have a lot of unlearning/learning they need to do in order to be considered an inclusive campus,” Volpe said. “With the student union and Queer Collective endorsing pride week, we are able to provide education and support to queer students and their allies [and celebrate] all of the achievements we have made in the past year.”
The CSU Queer Collective Liaison is collaborating with Indigenous Liaison Tristan Greyeyes to include a Two-Spirit event in pride. Volpe is also planning future events, such as organizing a Queer Prom, for those who didn’t have a chance to celebrate prom. This event will give Queer students another opportunity to celebrate.
The CSU Queer Collective association is a group of students that engage in weekly meetings to talk about topics of interest and always welcome new people to join and participate. Weekly meetings are held every Tuesday in Birch 313 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Volpe’s vision is to see more and get involved on campus.
Volpe encourages students to reach out and contact her for further information at queer@csu.bc.ca.
