Pride Parade is an opportunity to walk along a large group of folks, from diverse backgrounds, to promote sexual inclusion and diversity. This socially constructive march is a powerfully symbolic social action. It unifies like-minded people and gives space to those who have been on the fringe of social acceptability for far too long.
As a post-secondary institution, BCIT deals with adult students who can think freely about
LGBT rights. BCIT can equivocally state #loveislove and stand behind its statement, without backlash from parents. This freedom gives space to queer folks through BCIT Pride. It is a reflection of that institutional stance and it is incredibly powerful and liberating. It takes away the notion of sexual orientation as a barrier, and something one leaves behind once at school or at work. We can live authentic LGBT lives at BCIT.
The 2017 Pride Parade was a snapshot of what togetherness can feel like. As the BCIT Pride crew descended down Robson and Denman streets, we were met with so much love and enthusiasm. I saw so many young queer folks with so much hope in their expressions and in their voices. Hope and queerness are not always, or historically, synonymous. I reluctantly use the word normalization, but it is one of the only words that can describe the increased visibility of queer people. Being out is more than being seen or heard, it is about carving social space.
My hope is to see more queer love and joy in the hallways of BCIT campuses. I want to see beautiful displays of what the rainbow flag represents, and see that BCIT’s assertion of a safe, inclusive space is a lived, everyday practice.
Hope your pride celebrations were glorious and you are enjoying other queer festivities to come this summer! We hope you will join us for BCIT Pride 2018. Check our BCIT Pride Facebook page and follow us @bcit.pride on Instagram! 