How to Celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride at Mohawk College

Stephanie Ribson

Mohawk College is often the first-place students feel safe to express their most authentic selves without fear of judgement, bias, prejudice, or harassment. Whether you identify as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, nonbinary, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, or demisexual, you are welcomed and celebrated on campus.

How to Celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride at The MSA

At The MSA, we offer a wide range of supports and services to enhance the Mohawk College student experience. This Pride season, we’re sharing a list of MSA resources to help 2SLGBTQIA+ members find community and belonging on campus.

Student Resources

Can’t afford gender-affirming medication? Your MSA Health & Dental Insurance Plan has you covered (up to plan limitations).

Do you need to talk to a counsellor about your experience? Receive 24/7 mental health support with Dialogue.

Do you want to connect with friends, kings, queens, theys, baes, and gays on campus? Start a 2SLGBTQIA+ club or community at The MSA!

Do you need help navigating college systems? Email msa.advocacy@mohawkcollege.ca to receive confidential support from an MSA Peer Advocate.

How to Celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride on Campus

Mohawk College hosts a variety of free Pride events and activities for 2SLGBTQIA+ students and allies to enjoy every summer. Sign up to strut your stuff during the Spring Semester Social Pride Walk on Wednesday, June 25, or showcase your love of 2SLGBTQIA+ singers at PRIDE Karaoke on Wednesday, July 2.

How to Be an Ally to the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community

It’s important to remember that 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride wasn’t always a celebration, but a fight for survival and equality. It’s still illegal to be a part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in 65 countries worldwide, with varying degrees of punishment depending on the “severity” of the crime. As allies, we need to ensure we are staying on top of the news, following politicians and policy makers, and using our voice to advocate for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights.

Ally Checklist

Educate yourself about 2SLGBTQIA+ art, rights, and history

Create safe spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ members at home, school, and work

Follow 2SLGBTQIA+ content creators, influencers, artists, musicians, etc.

Share your pronouns (e.g. he/him, she/her, they/them/their)

Use gender-inclusive language when unsure of someone’s gender identity (e.g. they/them/their)

Speak out against discrimination and inequality

A Brief History of 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride in Canada

Before homosexuality was partially decriminalized in 1969, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Canada often lived in fear of legal prosecution and threats to their personal safety. Just two years later, nearly 100 activists from Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and surrounding areas gathered in Ottawa for the historic We Demand march—organized by the Toronto Gay Action group—to call for equal rights and legal protections. The We Demand march is a foundational moment in Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ rights movement history and helped lay the groundwork for the Pride events we see today.

Published: 23 Jun 2025 10:24 , Last updated: 23 Jun 2025 10:55