Campus is bustling with students once again and in-person events are back after an 18-month hiatus. Queer Coded UBC is putting together UBC’s biggest in-person Pride event after over a year’s worth of cancelled events. Today, on Friday, September 10, 2021, Queer Coded UBC is gearing up to host the UBC Pride Picnic – a 200 person event to celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff at UBC, as well as the return to campus at the Thunderbird Commons field at 5:30p.m. The now sold-out event is hosted on a ‘pay what you can’ basis, making it accessible to all.
What to expect at the event
The event will start off with some speeches by the organizers. “We will be talking a little bit about the struggles of being students in science and being in STEM and being 2SLGBTQIA+ and the importance of having affinity groups like Queer Coded,” said Olivia Yu, organizer for the Pride Picnic and member of the executive creative team at Queer Coded UBC.
Three experts are also expected to speak at the event, including Dr. Sara Harris, associate dean of UBC science, Dr. Ian Mitchell, head of computer science at UBC, and Dr. Danica Sutherland, computer science professor at UBC.
“Our goal for this event is to bring students, UBC faculty members and staff together … and discuss the struggles that people in UBC science, who are queer and [members of the] 2SLGBTQIA+ … have to go through just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” explained Yu in an interview with The Ubyssey.
Between speeches, attendees will get to enjoy pride-themed live music performances by local 2SLGBTQIA+ artists. Attendees can also enjoy smoothies, sandwiches and rainbow themed decor, including balloons, picnic blankets and flags to make the evening memorable.
Guests are strongly encouraged to wear masks and only attend if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, said Yu.
“We are really excited to have people back together and to be celebrating … 2SLGBTQIA+ people and our rights and our dignity and our visibility and equality.”