UWindsor Pride Logo

Welcome

UWinPride (the University of Windsor Pride Committee) is dedicated to the holistic inclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+ community members at UWindsor and beyond. We work to foster social, academic, and personal growth for all, through community support, awareness, advocacy, and education regarding 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, rights and experiences.


Please read our Open Letter to the University of Windsor Community!

An Open Letter to Dr. Robert Gordon and the University of Windsor Community,

On April 15th, the UWindsor Pride Committee (UWinPride) was alerted to a hate crime that occurred on campus, wherein homophobic slurs were carved into the UWSA Campus Pride Centre door on three separate occasions. Our co-chairs alerted the Office of the Vice President of People, Equity, and Inclusion, and are in the process of determining a way forward.

UWinPride denounces this behaviour and continues to advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at UWindsor, and beyond. We are collaborating with the UWSA on their Pride Centre needs assessment and are conducting our own research to help create safe and inclusive experiences for all students, staff, and faculty.

As a service-based committee, UWinPride relies on faculty, staff, and students who volunteer their time, as well as grants and donations to fund our efforts. Since 2019, we have routinely advocated for 2SLGBTQIA+ needs by consulting with faculties, administrative units, and other organizations; working with individuals; developing informational resources; facilitating educational workshops on issues of 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion; and offering opportunities for social connection on campus and in our local community. We will persist in our efforts but continue to advocate for formalized support from the institution.

UWinPride urges the University of Windsor to fund a full-time professional staff member who can focus their efforts on implementing sustainable support at our institution. The UWSA has handled the current situation respectably, and we are appreciative of their work to protect 2SLGBTQIA+ students on campus. We also believe it is unfair, and beyond expectation, that a student organization is responsible for dealing with this trauma. This places the burden of emotional labour on student employees going into their summer break or reaching the end of their contractsFurther, the fact that the only person paid for Pride-related work at UWindsor is a student, ignores the population of 2SLGBTQIA+ faculty and staff on campus who also need support and advocacy. We posit that in order to effectively provide equitable and inclusive experiences for everyone on our campus, we must approach this work through both student and employee perspectives; a full-time position could support both those efforts.

We know the University of Windsor strives to create a safe environment for all students, as evidenced through many recent and ongoing efforts. However, the recent events at the Campus Pride Centre have illuminated the presence of homophobia on our campus. As we work to restore feelings of safety for our 2SLGBTQIA+ students, it is imperative that the institution act in accordance with it’s values, the Aspire strategy, and it’s vision of inclusive relationship building, and commit the resources to ensure that advocacy, education, and inclusive support are prioritized.

This letter is also posted on the UWinPride Instagram, and our website will be updated with the letter’s signatories as more people sign, in support of our request.

With hope and sincerity,

The UWindsor Pride Committee Co-Chairs and Supporters

Show your support by adding your name to this letter using this survey.

Current Signatories:

  1. Ashlyne O'Neil, Faculty, UWinPride Co-Chair
  2. Joyceln Lorito, Staff, UWinPride Co-Chair
  3. Mack Park, Staff, UWinPride Co-Chair
  4. Sydney Murray, Staff
  5. Arran Christie, Student
  6. Bonnie Stewart, Faculty
  7. Oliver Swainson, Student
  8. Anonymous Community Member
  9. Samuel E., Student
  10. Kayla Hurst, Staff
  11. Alexandra Kawalec, Student
  12. Anonymous Student
  13. Frankie Cachon, Faculty
  14. Nakul Pandya, Student
  15. Anonymous Student
  16. Dana Sequin, Staff
  17. Jenn Myer, Staff
  18. Sandra Ondraka, Staff
  19. Kate Hargreaves, Staff
  20. Jacqueline Hebert, Staff
  21. Julie Sando, Staff
  22. Jasmine Knight, Student
  23. Meris Bray, Faculty
  24. Lisa Milne, Staff
  25. Elissa Deauvall, Student
  26. Caiti Casey, Staff
  27. Laura Little, Staff
  28. Dave Cormier, Faculty
  29. Maxwell Dent, Student
  30. Fei Qin, Student
  31. KayCyn Hernandez, Student
  32. Anonymous Student
  33. Anonymous Staff
  34. Anonymous Faculty
  35. channing gordon, student
  36. Natalie Emerick, Student
  37. Sarah Braganza, Staff
  38. Anonymous Staff
  39. Anonymous Staff
  40. Maria Argoselo, Staff
  41. Danielle Reaume, Staff
  42. Catherine Vanner, Faculty
  43. Rachel Pitre, Student
  44. Grace Charron, Student
  45. Maev, Coovert, Student
  46. Reena Dyck, Student
  47. Anonymous Student
  48. Erica Miklas, Faculty
  49. Alexandra MacTavish, Student
  50. Clayton Smith, Faculty
  51. Natalie Beltrano, Other Role
  52. Kristen Derbyshire, Community Member
  53. Laura Desrosier, Student
  54. Ali Balock, Student
  55. Clayton LeBlanc, Student
  56. Anonymous Student
  57. Anne Rudzinski, Staff
  58. August Baughan, Student
  59. Gili Einy, Student
  60. Victoria Hecnar, Staff
  61. Anonymous Student
  62. Alicia Charebois, Student
  63. Gracie Williamson, Student
  64. Garrett Giles, Other Role
  65. Rowan MacLean, Student
  66. Marina Sadik, Staff
  67. Ashley Tam, Student
  68. Anonymous Student
  69. Ainsley Ault, Student
  70. Aaron Begeron, Student
  71. Anonymous Student
  72. Anonymous Student
  73. Olivia Castro, Student
  74. Alisa Hopkinson, Staff
  75. Charlene Y. Senn, PhD (Department of Psychology/Women's & Gender Studies in Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies)
  76. Chantel C, Community Member
  77. Meg Gregoire, Student
  78. Monica Karch, Student
  79. Anonymous Student
  80. Emily Kydd, Student
  81. Joe Sisco, Staff
  82. Nyx Hogan, Student
  83. Anonymous Student
  84. Izzy, Student
  85. Kat Pasquach, Staff
  86. evelyn petro, student
  87. Chloe Curran, Student
  88. Gabrielle Comeau, Student
  89. Coreen Tabbenor, Student
  90. Stephanie, Student
  91. Shahad Al-Haddad, Other Role
  92. Kieran Wong, Community Member
  93. James Gauld, Faculty
  94. Mackenzie Betteridge, Student
  95. Emily A., Student
  96. Veronica Beia, Student
  97. Anonymous Student
  98. Athena Cox, Student
  99. Anonymous Student
  100. Dr. Courtney Williston, Staff
  101. Olivia Syal, Student
  102. Giselle St Louis, Staff
  103. Anonymous Staff
  104. Emily Newman, Other Role
  105. Brigitte Romao, Staff
  106. Nik, Suich, Other Role
  107. Frasia Morrison, Student
  108. Shannon Dumont, Community Member
  109. Anonymous community member
  110. Liana Anselmo, Community Member
  111. Sherri L Dufour, Other Role
  112. Makayla Ashenden, Student
  113. Katherine Burton, Other Role
  114. Nadeen Al-Taher, Student
  115. Quinn Hunt, Other Role
  116. Anonymous Student
  117. Hailley Smeltzer, Student
  118. Jessica Carnegie, Student
  119. Makenna Pickersgill, Student
  120. Jules Wilson, Student
  121. Aidan, Student
  122. Hannah Ruuth, Staff
  123. Anonymous Student
  124. Booke Keikkinen, Student
  125. Anonymous Student
  126. Kendall Soucie, Faculty
  127. Angela Wang, Student
  128. Dorian Kendall, Student
  129. Anonymous Student
  130. Naveed Arafat, Student
  131. Anonymous Student
  132. Cheyenne Mailloux, Student
  133. Anonymous Student
  134. AJ Hua, Student
  135. Mya Bezaire, Student
  136. Kelly Gregoire, Faculty
  137. Emma Logan, Student
  138. Olivia Patricia, Student
  139. Anonymous Staff
  140. Marina Touma, Other Role
  141. Dr. Onawa LaBelle, Psychology Department, Faculty
  142. Anonymous Student
  143. Andy, Student
  144. Priscilla Correa, Faculty
  145. Daniela, Staff
  146. Greyson South, Other Role
  147. Laura McLean, Staff
  148. Cindy Pastorius, Community Member
  149. Arianna Kennedy, Student
  150. Damie Oliver, Community Member
  151. Blake, Community Member
  152. Anonymous Student
  153. Julie Chambo, Community Member
  154. Dana Cortese, Community Member
  155. Anonymous Staff
  156. Lia Ignat, Staff
  157. Tim Tiegs, Faculty
  158. Jamie Crawley, Faculty
  159. Edward Cruz, Faculty
  160. Dr. Kathy Pfaff, Faculty
  161. Walter Cassidy, Community Member
  162. Megan Ball Rigden, Other Role
  163. Shelley Evans, Faculty
  164. Prof. Melissa A. Hicks, MS LCGC
  165. Alex Pershai, Staff
  166. Kory Bessette, Staff
  167. Mackenzie Smith, Staff
  168. Christine Jolicoeur, Staff
  169. Kathryn Edmunds, Faculty
  170. Wendy Caron, Other Role
  171. Vanessa Bumanlag, Student
  172. Makenzie Lavergne, Student
  173. Anonymous Community Member
  174. Derrick Biso, Community Member
  175. Martyna Markowski (M.S.W.; R.S.W.), Other Role
  176. Juliana Simon, Student
  177. Tasha Sioufi Stansbury, Staff
  178. Ursula Meloche, Community Member
  179. Jane Ku, Faculty
  180. Anonymous Community Member
  181. Jijian Voronka, Faculty
  182. Olive Huang, Student
  183. Anonymous, Other Role
  184. Merrick Pilling, Faculty
 

PLEASE NOTE: Source files for Trans Day of Visibility Resources will be posted ASAP


Things to Look Forward to:

Workshops & Presentations:

Pride Month is June! 

Stay tuned for event announcements

Share your story through an Instagram feature:

If you would like to be featured on UWinPride’s Instagram as a visible member of our UWindsor 2SLGBTQIA+ community, you are encouraged to submit your story using this short submission survey.

Educational Modules Coming Soon! 

With support from the Mental Health Strategy Grant, UWinPride is developing a series of self-paced modules to help create and maintain a more inclusive campus environment for all students, staff, and faculty.

Contact Us!

If you would like to get involved, have an idea for an inclusive event, or have UWinPride offer a workshop or session to your unit, please reach out!

uwinpride@uwindsor.ca

@UWinPride on Instagram