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P is for Pride!

RyePride is a campus group run by the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU). It has worked to provide a safe and comfortable space for LGBTQ students and allies alike since 1977.

The group fights phobias and discriminations based on sexual orientation and gender by running events like Winter Pride and the Trans Day of Remembrance throughout the school year.

RyePride, which meets in room 209 at the Student Campus Centre (SCC), also started hosting Q & A (Queers and Allies) roundtable discussions last year. These events are open to all students in need of support, information on initiatives, or a place to share ideas.

But RyePride’s initiatives are hardly chained to campus: the university’s Pride chapter has also made a point of participating in the city of Toronto’s Pride Week festivities. It’s one of many reasons student activity greatly contributes to the Toronto’s diversity and vitality.

While the group enjoys a base on campus, students can also walk just a few blocks north of campus to the Church Wellesley Village, a part of the city known for its rainbow banners, strips of gay bars, and its stake as Toronto’s first home for LGBTQ community members.

Catch up with RyePride at dis- Orientation day, and at the RSU’s social justice street fair taking place on Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To learn more about the history of the Pride movement off-campus, check out resources provided by the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives.

The organization’s website features “The Pin Button Project”, an interactive exhibit that teaches history by clicking on the image of an old, politicized pin.

The group’s Toronto office, located at 34 Isabella Street, is also showcasing an exhibition and book launch under the title At the Same Time – an exploration of romantic relationships in different parts of the world. The show runs until Sept. 22.

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