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 contracts. Further, 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