By Mike Ziemerink, Toronto Officer, Alumni Strategy

The beginning of June marks the start of both Pride Month and patio season. We were lucky enough to celebrate both last Wednesday, June 7 at Pride at the Pub in Toronto with the Queen’s Queer Alumni Chapter. 

Sitting on a patio in Toronto’s gay village, LGBTQ2S+ alumni and allies from diverse Queen’s faculties enjoyed some appetizers and beverages and took in some queer entertainment. The crew got to know each other better through an icebreaker bingo game. The real treat started with a drag performance by Betty Baker, a drag artist from Peterborough, Ont. Performing a range of numbers from “I Really Like You” by Canadian queer icon Carly Rae Jepson and a ballad of “Alone by Heart,” Betty danced, kicked, and split the patio down with her incredible moves and personality. 

Events such as Pride at the Pub give LGBTQ2S+ alumni a safe space to bond with each other and form new connections. These safe spaces are more important now than ever as anti-LGBTQ2S hate is on the rise. 

After the event, alumni gave wonderful feedback and hoped to see more LGBTQ2S+ focused community programming in Toronto and elsewhere as Queen’s works to achieve our Indigenization - Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility (I-EDIAA) goals. 

Overall, it was a wonderful start to Pride Month and patio season for queer alumni and allies and made me proud to be a queer Queen’s Advancement staff member!

Queen’s celebrates Pride Month

Pride Month is a time to honour and support members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, while also reflecting on the long, difficult history that has led to this month.

Throughout June, Queen’s will highlight several resources available to our students, staff, and faculty and point to several events taking place in Kingston this month.

To learn more, read the full Pride Month at Queen's Gazette article. 

Advancement Enhancement Day  

We have 122 team members registered for the day! The formal agenda starts at 9:30 am in Ellis Hall 321 but please ensure you collect your nametag and lanyard in Ellis Hall 226 between 8:30 to 9:30 am (and grab a coffee while you are there!)  Please note that compulsory activities are noted with an *. For the manager-led activities in the afternoon, participants will be divided into teams with individual information noted on nametags with team details.
 
What to bring
In-person attendees are encouraged to bring a device that can connect to the internet. (A smart phone is perfect.) 
 
Dress
Attendees are encouraged to dress in casual or tricolour attire.
 
Schedule of Events

• 8:30-9:30- arrival and coffee-house social with hospitality. Collect nametag and lanyard which should be worn for the day! (non-structured low-key activities to be available) -Ellis 226
• 9:30-10:00– Welcome and Overview – Ellis 321*
• 10:00-12:00- Keynote Speaker: Dane Jensen, Third Factor - Maintaining Team Motivation Through the Troughs – Ellis 321* 
• 12:00-1:30- Lunch plus optional activity starting at 1 pm – Ban Righ Dining Hall (and additional optional activities in Ellis 226) Nametag required for access to Ban Righ lunch
• 1:30- 2:30- Manger Led Activities (session 1) – Ellis 321 (trivia) and Ellis 324 (art)*
• 2:30-3:30– Manager Led activities (session 2) – Ellis 321 (trivia) and Ellis 324 (art)*
• 3:30-3:45- Break and transition time
• 3:45-4:15- Wrap up activity: Group Photo- Front steps of Ontario Hall - across the street from Ellis (Lanyards to be returned before departing) *

ALT all-day meeting agenda on QUIRC

The agenda for the ALT meeting on June 15 is now posted on QUIRC.  

Jobs with Advancement

We need your recruitment help. Know great talent that would be a good addition to our team? If so, please promote the vacancies below with your networks and let’s find some amazing new team members.

Applications (including a cover letter and résumé) must be submitted through CareerQ. For more information on this posting, please reach out to either Carla Ferreira Rodrigues or the hiring manager for the position you are interested in.