Message from the President: UPEI Pride
The following message was distributed on behalf of the Office of the President to students, staff, and faculty by email on July 15, 2022.
Dear Members of the UPEI Community,
While Pride Month is celebrated during the month of June in many areas of Canada, on PEI and at the University of Prince Edward Island, we recognize Pride in July to coincide with the PEI Pride Festival, this year being held July 16 to 24.
Regardless of when specific jurisdictions recognize Pride, UPEI stands firmly with the 2SLGBTQIA+* community year-round. We embrace equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and all that makes each of us unique, including sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. We are grateful for the contributions of UPEI community members engaged in EDI academics and research, support services, and advocacy work.
While we celebrate the gains that have been made, including the introduction of our EDI Strategy in 2021, we must always strive to do better as a society, a community, and a university. Pride is more than raising a flag, wearing rainbow-coloured clothes, or watching or participating in a parade. It’s about working together to create spaces where everyone knows they can fully participate and belong.
The PEI Pride Festival is a time to celebrate and visibly acknowledge that we continue to move forward together. UPEI has long raised the Pride flag on campus during the PEI Pride Festival to remind us of our duty to create diverse, welcoming and inclusive communities. We will again raise the “Progress” Pride flag, which is a combination of the traditional Pride flag with a chevron representing the transgender and other marginalized communities. Last year, we also partnered with the UPEI Student Union in having the Progress Pride flag permanently painted on the steps outside the W. A. Murphy Student Centre, symbolic of our commitment to removing barriers and welcoming everyone to the University.
I met with UPEI Student Union President Adam MacKenzie earlier this week and he is inviting all members of the UPEI community to join the Student Union as they participate in the PEI Pride Parade through the streets of Charlottetown on Saturday, July 23, at 12:30 pm.
Let’s come together for the 2022 PEI Pride Festival—I encourage you to wear your rainbow colours all week. Happy Pride!
Regards,
Greg
GREG KEEFE, DVM, MSc, MBA (he/him)
President and Vice-Chancellor (Interim)
University of Prince Edward Island
