When most people think about Victoria College and the community within it, they often think of inclusivity and how getting involved creates a second home for students at Vic. Knowing this, I don’t think it is any surprise that VicPride is an important facet of the connection and community within Vic for us students who are involved with the levy.
Over the past few years, VicPride has had a bit of a shaky time, as the pandemic created a rift in participation for all extracurricular activities. Personally, I have noticed how difficult it is to stay engaged when the pandemic makes the concept of isolation not only real, but mandatory for the safety of everyone in our communities. Connection is a large part of what VicPride has been working toward and continues to work toward as we adapt to current restrictions and try to re-establish ourselves as a prominent levy at Vic again.
Within the Vic community, we aim to help foster this connection and activity while providing space for the LGBTQ+ community to feel safe and heard at our college. In line with the value of inclusion, VicPride is dedicated to holding this space, as well as hosting events to both create connections within the community and educate people on issues within the LGBTQ+ community.
VicPride is an instrumental part of the Vic community. Discovering the levy during my orientation many years ago was part of what helped me become comfortable at UofT, comfortable being myself around campus. So, over the past year when the levy was inactive and without a team, I was devastated. Its inactivity felt like yet another source of community and education that the pandemic had swallowed up. When VicPride! elections came around in the fall of 2021, I knew that I had to participate; watching this levy disappear was not something I was willing to do.
Now, you can see us again as we host events, make spaces for learning, and generally just try to have fun! Our team is absolutely incredible; we are passionate about equality, equity, connection, and education within and outside the LGBTQ+ community. Together, our team forms a solid foundation for this levy and we are returning stronger than ever. We are fighting our way through pandemic hardships and reclaiming our space to connect and revel in the amazing community that can be created through VicPride.
It is essential to us at VicPride that we maintain this space, where we can continue to acknowledge and celebrate the incredible ways that the LGBTQ+ community at Victoria College (and beyond) makes our lives a little livelier. So follow us on Instagram at @vicu.pride and come visit us during our general meetings sometime soon!
