In Canada, Pride Month is celebrated annually in June. It is an important month for the country and for Humber.  

At Humber, we will gather on June 1 for the raising of the Pride and Trans flags as the College celebrates the start of Pride Month. The flag raising is part of Humber’s commitment to supporting 2SLGBTQ+ students, staff, faculty, and the broader community.

Raising the Pride and Trans flags symbolize the promise we make as a community to make Humber an inclusive place for people no matter their sexuality, gender identity, race, religion, or disability. It’s a pledge to make Humber a place where they can be themselves – freely, fully and safely.

Building bridges and strengthening our support for our 2SLGBTQ+ community is of utmost importance to me in my role as Humber’s president and CEO.  

The College is taking steps to emphasize belonging in our classrooms and on our campuses and locations more broadly. Specifically, I look to the work carried out by Humber’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Taskforce over the past five years and its forthcoming final report. Work is underway in our classrooms with the rollout of the EDI Toolkit, which cultivates a sense of belonging in the classroom to the benefit of students.

To focus these efforts, Humber recently announced the position of the Vice-President of Inclusion and Belonging. Through this office, Humber will set out the key priorities to ensure we live up to our values of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB), and where we aren’t, steps will be taken to address the situation.

When students and staff feel safe, included and have a sense of belonging, they are invested in their success and the success of the institution. An environment that prioritizes EDIB for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and people from equity deserving groups allows people to live a full, productive, and meaningful life.

This is why I will always champion this month while ensuring our work to support the community goes beyond just June and is truly a focus 365 days a year.

I hope you enjoy the Pride Month celebrations as they continue at Humber and in the community throughout June with events and activities. You can find out more by visiting Humber’s LGBTQ events webpage and I would encourage our whole community to get involved with making Humber a diverse and welcoming place for all. I hope to see you at the flag raising ceremony on June 1st as we kick off this month and demonstrate our support for all members of our community.  

Warmly,

AMV