All month the 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG) will be putting out Communiqué posts with reminders, information, and history relevant to Pride.

As we celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community and all the progress we’ve made, many of us are asking: how can we continue to create braver, more empathetic, and more inclusive communities for people of all sexual and gender identities and expressions?

Let’s start off by unpacking one of the ways 2SLGBTQ+ exclusion can work its way into even the seemingly most inclusive of spaces- through the pervasiveness of heteronormativity.

Pop quiz! Can you spot the assumptions packed into the phrases above?

• “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!”
• “What a handsome kid! I bet he’ll grow up to be quite the ladies’ man.”
• “I heard you got married! Will you be taking your husband’s surname?”
• “Menstrual products should be available to all women on campus for free.”

For some, it may take a bit of time to identify how and why these phrases are problematic. But for many of us 2SLGBTQ+ folks, hearing these phrases triggers an immediate sense of exclusion and erasure.

Heteronormativity is the assumption that heterosexuality is the normal, natural, preferred, default sexuality. It is also often associated with the unexamined assumption that cisgender identities, traditional gender roles, and gender binarism (the notion that there are two distinct and opposite genders) are universal. (source)

The assumption that everyone is straight and cisgender permeates our culture and our language. Heteronormativity harms queer and trans people because these assumptions erase our lived experiences. They can make us feel left out and convey the sense that we are abnormal or different. When people make assumptions about our gender and/or sexuality, it can make us feel as though we must either lie by omission or out ourselves. Neither option is conducive to a feeling of belonging.

Here are some easy tips and tricks to combat implicit heteronormativity that you can start practicing today:

1. Don’t assume a person’s gender or sexual orientation

When you are meeting someone for the first time, stereotypes can lead you to believe that you can tell someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But that’s not at all the case! For instance, someone’s gender expression may be quite different from their gender identity. Be mindful, polite and open-minded, and whenever possible, use gender-neutral terms until the person shares with you their gender identity and sexual orientation.

2. Use inclusive language

Swapping heteronormative language for inclusive language can be as simple as getting used to using the following words and phrases:

Acknowledge that there are a multitude of gender identities

Instead of: “Both women and men […]”
Say: “People of all genders […]”

Replace gendered terms with inclusive ones

Instead of: “Good morning, ladies/gentlemen/girls/guys!”
Say: “Good morning, friends/folks/everyone!”

Create space for all sexual identities

Instead of: “Do you have a boyfriend/husband?”
Say: “Do you have a partner/spouse?”

For more information, please view Humber College’s Inclusive Language Guide.

Stay tuned for more Pride Humber Communiqué posts throughout the month of June.

• More information about Humber Pride events
• More information about the 2SLGBTQ+ ERG

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritages, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, as recognized by the Canadian Constitution.  

Learn more about National Indigenous Peoples Day 

There are many events planned locally and across the province. The City of Toronto’s annual Sunrise Ceremony, in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, will take place at Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday, June 21 at 5:30 a.m. All are welcome. More events happening in Ontario. 

Humber College is committed to recognizing and celebrating Indigenous cultures, histories, and Knowledges in our academic programming, events, professional development, and other initiatives throughout the year. This work is guided by the Department of Indigenous Education and Engagement (IE&E) and Humber’s Indigenous Education Council. There is an imperative for every college and university, including Humber, to engage in Truth and Reconciliation. We all have the opportunity to participate through ongoing, genuine, caring and empathetic learning, and by choosing to act on the 94 recommendations in the Calls to Action, as we collectively recognize and address the legacy of residential schools. As the 2021 Colleges and Institutes of Canada Gold Medal recipient for Indigenous Education Excellence, Humber provides opportunities to learn about and build understanding of the impact and legacy of residential schools in Canada, all year round. 

It is the work of all Canadians to understand the impacts of residential schools, the policies that created the conditions for the devastation of Indigenous cultures and communities, and the ways that Indigenous peoples are driving a resurgence that will write, and right, the future of our country. The negative impacts on Indigenous cultures have been experienced for generations, and it will require a multigenerational commitment from all Canadians to change this.  

On June 21, we ask that you support Indigenous staff and students who may want to gather or participate in broader community events or do what they need to do to commemorate the multigenerational trauma of residential schools.  

Please visit Humber’s Indigenous Education and Engagement website for more information. 

The Professional Writing and Communications (PWC) graduate certificate students are available for work in full-time writing and communications roles this fall, from September to mid-December, for their work placement.  

Third-semester PWC students are able to create documents suitable for a diversity of audiences and purposes using advanced linguistic and rhetorical skills and are prepared to produce work individually or in collaboration.  

The work-integrated learning experience should allow students to:

• demonstrate proficiency in adhering to professional writing best practices,  
• collaborate with others in a professional setting,  
• show responsiveness to business and organizational procedures and protocols, 
• apply core communications strategies and skills, and
• show time-management skills by completing assigned tasks in a timely and professional manner. 

For more information about hosting a PWC work placement, please contact Samantha Clarizio at samantha.clarizio@humber.ca.

Humber 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group is proud to host the Display Your Pride Contest! Prizes will be awarded to the best display of Pride at Humber College.

This year’s theme is Pride is Political. Decorate your space in a way that acknowledges and celebrates the diverse histories, stories and political resistance of the 2SLGBTQIA+ movement and community.

What to do

Decorate your individual space to showcase the theme of the contest. Use images, show signs, or provide information about how the history of Pride has always been political. Spaces may include your work or study from home “office” space, balcony, backyard, or any other space you want to show off.

Creativity is strongly encouraged. We also encourage you to decorate your individual spaces through a sustainability lens.

Once you’ve created your display, take a photograph of it and submit it via the submission form below. Not a decorator? No problem! This year we will also be accepting original Zoom or MS Teams background designs.

Try to have your Pride display up for June 15, 2022: on this day, many of the GTA’s colleges and universities will be celebrating Display Your Pride. Please share photos of your display to social media on June 15 with the hashtags #DisplayYourPride #HumberPride2022 #PrideIsPolitical.

The deadline for submissions is June 24, 2022.

View more information and to submit your display

If you have any questions, please contact matthew.harris@humber.ca.