Despite the positive shift in social awareness, media representation, and inclusive policies and practices, there is still much about 2SLGBTQ+ topics that is not taught, resulting in the existence of homophobia/transphobia and hate crimes.

Questions such as how to support family, friends, students, and colleagues who are struggling with coming out or want to transition are commonly asked. Through an interdisciplinary focus, this Humber Continuing Professional Learning Certificate of Accomplishment will begin to answer this question and more by allowing learners to better explore and challenge the histories of sexuality and gender normativity across multiple political, legal, workplace, artistic, literary, and cultural contexts. Learners will participate in an interactive, engaging, and inclusive and safe community-building space. 

What you will learn:  

• Social and political histories of sexuality and gender representation from around the world
• Understanding of the evolving 2SLGBTQ+ acronyms and the vast gender identities, sexualities and populations encompassed within
• Review key legislation in Ontario that protects 2SLGBTQ+ communities in the workplace
• Media representation of 2SLGBTQ+ people and significance and impact on the community

Program Structure:  

• Six 15-hour (5 weeks) courses in the certificate
• Delivered online with both synchronous and asynchronous delivery
• The synchronous classes will typically run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST in the second and fourth week of each course
• To complete the certificate, you will need to take all four compulsory courses and one elective course

Courses offered:  

Compulsory 

• EDIQ 100: Foundations in 2SLGBTQ+ Studies 
• EDIQ 101: Working with 2SLGBTQ+ Communities 
• EDIQ 102: 2SLGBTQ+ Representation in Popular Literature and Media 
• EDIQ 103: Sexualities and Identities in the 2SLGBTQ+ Spectrum 

Electives  

• EDIQ 104: The Politics of 2SLGBTQ+ Human Rights and Global Issues 
• EDIQ 105: Supporting 2SLGBTQ+ Employees in the Workplace  

For more information contact:  

Humber Continuous Professional Learning, Liberal Arts & Sciences 
416.675.6622 x4554 
cplliberalarts@humber.ca

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

When you think about Pride, what comes to mind? Many of us think about parties, parades, rainbows, celebration, love, and all things 2SLGBTQ+ (2-Spirited, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, +)! But before we wrap ourselves in rainbow flags and go dancing through the streets, let’s pause to think about what we are celebrating, how far we have come and how we can create safer, more loving, and openhearted communities. 

The Stonewall Riots, 1969 

For decades leading up to the Stonewall Riots of 1969, tensions between the 2SLGBTQ+ community and law enforcement were mounting. Queer gatherings were routinely targeted by police who would confront, intimidate, and arrest those in attendance.  

On the night of June 28th, 1969, police entered and began making arrests at a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village, NYC, called the Stonewall Inn. They violently arrested dozens of queer patrons and employees, a majority of whom were racialized. Frustrated and angry after decades of abuse, bar-goers collectively resisted. By 4 a.m., the mob had grown so large that police barricaded themselves inside the Inn while the crowd attempted to break through the doors. 

The protests continued for six days and were largely led by Black and racialized 2SLGBTQ+ folks like Storme’ DeLarverie, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. The uprising gave rise to activist groups who continued to fight for the right to be openly themselves and free from the threat of arrests and violence. They proposed an annual march that would take place on the last Saturday of June to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and to continue to garner support for the advancement of 2SLGBTQ+ rights. 

So, this June, as we continue to safely gather, let us give thanks to the 2SLGBTQ+ activists and allies who paved the way for us to be able to march throughout the streets of Toronto, wrapped in rainbow flags, full of pride. 

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

College Council Showcases Health and Wellness Resources at Humber

An assembly of faculty, support staff, students, and administrators, Humber College Council (HCC) is Humber’s collective employee voice, making suggestions to Humber College’s President as it relates to long and short‐term priorities outlined in the institution’s Strategic Plan.

Acknowledging the impact of the last few years on Humber staff and employees around the world, HCC held its annual retreat for the 2021-2022 academic year on Thursday, June 2, 2022 focused on re-energizing members and showcasing the various wellness resources available to them at Humber.

Key information and teachings were shared on these topics by Jason Seright, Dean, Indigenous Education at Humber College and Paula Allen, Global Lead and Senior Vice President of Lifeworks.

• Jason Seright shared the teachings he was taught about the Ojibwe Medicine Wheel. With balance at its centre, the wheel is divided into four equal quadrants representing the North, East, South and West. These quadrants also represent seasons, colours, life stages, plants and the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical states/dimensions. Seright called on participants to envision it as a house with four rooms, and to imagine what happens when we ignore one of those rooms. He stressed the importance of visiting each of them.
• Paula Allen presented The Mental Health Index Report published in February 2021 by Morneau Shepell (now Lifeworks). It features pre-COVID data and data collected during the first year of the pandemic from approximately 3000 Canadians to demonstrate the impact of the pandemic on Canadian’s mental wellbeing. While a two-point drop (-2) on the index indicates a significant decline, levels during the first year of the pandemic were around 11. “An eleven-point decrease from the pre-COVID-19 benchmark reflects a population whose mental health is similar to the most distressed one per cent of the benchmark population.” (pg. 3). The report highlights the strain on managers during this time, faring well below non-managers (-10.9 non-management vs -12.2 management: p. 2), and the impact of the pandemic on full-time students who have the lowest mental health score (-27.8: p. 1).

The presentation was followed by wellness activities, and sharing many of Humber’s health-oriented offerings:

• Nature walks: Jimmy Vincent, Camp Director at the Humber Arboretum, provided tours of the Arboretum grounds.
• Traditional Chinese medicine: Humber’s Tzu Chi Clinic* provided members with assessments and treatments.
• Chair yoga: Humber’s Recreation and Fitness Coordinator Nathania Bron taught members to reduce stress with chair yoga.
• Cooking demo: Humber’s Chef Eric Deletroz taught participants how to prepare an easy and healthy snack using his special spice mixture.
• Spa services: The Humber Spa* showcased their various offerings to relax, refresh and recharge.

*Both the Tzu Chi Clinic and The Humber Spa engage students in their service provision, thereby providing the critical work integrated learning students need to prepare them for the workforce.

To connect health and wellbeing of people to that of the planet, Lindsay Walker, Associate Director, Office of Sustainability invited participants to be ambassadors of the O2GO Reusable Containers, a program at Humber that aims to provide a cost-effective alternative to single-use, throwaway containers and avert waste from landfills and oceans.

NEXT HCC MEETING

The next Humber College Council meeting will be in September when the fall academic term commences.

For questions or comments about HCC meeting highlights, contact regan.mancini@humber.ca. For supporting materials or opportunities to provide feedback, please visit the College Council website or contact shovani.samalia@humber.ca.

For National Indigenous History Month, Humber Libraries is collaborating with Indigenous Education & Engagement to highlight new and diverse Indigenous voices, histories and experiences across Turtle Island. Each Friday in June, a member of the IE&E community will recommend a book that has influenced, moved or inspired them. In turn, the Library will share a reading list complementing their selection of the week.

For this Friday's National Indigenous History Month feature, visit the Library Spotlight to read about Quazance Boissoneau's, manager, Indigenous Education & Engagement, selection, Jordin Tootoo's memoir, All The Way: My Life on Ice, and explore related books based on her selection.