This year’s Pride Week at Carleton revolves around the theme of activism, as chosen by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC) programming co-ordinator Keya Prempeh.
Starting off the week was a screening of United in Anger on Jan. 16, which documented the actions of the activist group ACT UP! in pushing for better access to AIDS research and treatment the emergence of the disease.
The following day saw a workshop on sex and disability hosted by the sex shop Venus Envy, which promoted awareness for problems people with disabilities face in their sexuality. Sex toys were presented courtesy of the shop to highlight the number of options available for those with physical and mental disabilities.
Both an activist caucus on Jan. 18 and a discussion on fatphobia on Jan. 20, are also included in the week’s events.
“A lot of our events, especially the activist caucus, are really designed to let folks know how they can take part and interact with the community in a way that helps others,” said Sam Richardson, a co-ordinator with the GSRC.
Pride Week is an annual event at Carleton, but according to Richardson, funding for the event only started in 2012.
Some of the events, such as the movie screening, were inspired by past Pride Weeks. While staple events such as previous drag shows were popular, Prempeh added that most of the selection depends on people’s interest and feedback.
For the GSRC, Pride Week also allows students to be more aware of the resources available to them on campus.
“I started to participate a lot in the GSRC after going to some pride events and realising that there’s a community on campus that I wasn’t really aware of beforehand,” Prempeh said.
While Prempeh planned the events for the week prior to the results of the American election, events such as the disability workshop can be seen as a response to Trump’s remarks on a disabled reporter back in November 2015, according to Richardson.
“Our events can be advice on how to handle the next four years,” Richardson said.
But much of this year’s theme was centered on honouring the activist work of past members of the LGBT community.
“I think it’s important to honour those who have come before us and who have done great work . . . And also reflect on how we can move forward and come together in order to ensure that the atmosphere for queer and trans folks only improves,” Prempeh said.
Bryan Quiñones, a human kinetics student at the University of Ottawa, attended the sex and disability workshop, and said it is important to advocate for people with disabilities and “[acknowledge] the fact that they have sexual pleasures, and advocating that people with disabilities are not asexuals.”
“I know that there’s a lot of stigma for people with disabilities, and I like the fact that it’s hosted during Pride Week because [it helps shed light on it],” he said.
Joanna Zebib, a second-year psychology student at Carleton who has previously attended Pride Week, said the week is very pertinent to current events.
“It’s very educational, which I really appreciate— educating people is something we really need right now,” she said.
In spite of the recent political climate, Prempeh said this year’s Pride Week reflects the activist history of LGBT members in fighting for their rights.
“We really want to emphasize that we exist and we are here and that we shouldn’t have to hide or be ashamed of who we are,” Prempeh said. “I still think [future] pride events will have a lot of value on campus.”
– Photo by Trevor Swann.
