Last weekend, Dalhousie showed its support for LGBTQ+ members of its community with dozens of students, staff and faculty taking part in the Halifax Pride Parade.
This year’s Dalhousie contingent grew substantially from the 2014 group. Approximately 80 individuals took part, many of them students, with DSU President Dan Nicholson front-and-centre on the new Dal float. Groups represented included DSU, Dal Student Life, Res Life, Student Services, Dal Allies, Dal Gets Real and various student societies.
Xavier Hartley, who was there as a member of Dal Gets Real, spoke to the importance of Dal’s participation in the parade. “It represents inclusivity in Halifax and at Dal in particular,” he said. Many people echoed that sentiment, expressing that for them the size and enthusiasm of this year’s group was a great way to show acceptance and embrace people from all backgrounds at Dal.
This year’s contingent featured a numbers of signs put together by the DSU, with slogans including “Queer Support is Peer Support,” and “Trans Issues are Student Issues. The messages emphasized how every Dal student is an important part of the university community and should feel pride in their identity.
One individual who was walking with Rad Pride, and who identified as "Slightly," said of the parade and Pride as a whole: “It gives invisible people a chance to be seen and makes it more comfortable to be you.” Indeed, each year’s Pride often feels like a small step towards true visibility, and making people feel comfortable being themselves in the community at Dal and the community at large.
And so, another Pride passed, with another strong contingent from Dal — even winning best non-profit float in the parade — and another small step towards ensuring everyone and anyone can feel safe and supported being themselves.
See more: Halifax Pride Parade Photo Essay