Alumna Kristina Kisin wants to diversify politics
Pride Month, celebrated in June, honours and celebrates the 2SLGBTQI+ community. For this issue, we spoke with Kristina Kisin, Politics and Governance ’23, about her pivotal role as the Executive Director of ProudPolitics — an organization aimed at breaking down barriers for Canada’s under-represented and marginalized 2SLGBTQI+ communities to become civic leaders.
Kristina Kisin is the Executive Director of ProudPolitics Canada, a non-partisan organization dedicated to diversifying Canadian politics and supporting 2SLGBTQI+ leaders running for public office. She began as an intern in 2021 and has since taken on roles in research, event coordination and program management, leading numerous research and outreach projects, collaborating with progressive partners and contributing to the organization’s growth.
Passionate about democratic engagement and climate action, Kisin has a decade of experience in event planning, organizing conferences, workshops, webinars and events for student organizations and national non-profits. She worked on Olivia Chow’s 2023 mayoral campaign, the DemocracyXChange Summit with The Dais, and the Future Leaders in Politics (FLIP) Summit with Environmental Leadership Canada. Kisin is dedicated to crafting meaningful experiences and supporting young leaders in becoming skilled change-makers.
ProudPolitics is working to diversify Canada’s politics by breaking down barriers for under-represented 2SLGBTQI+ communities — can you explain the importance of this work?
I believe it is crucial for parliament to reflect the diversity of the people they represent, including racial, ethnic, religious, age and gender diversity. Elected officials should have lived experiences that align with what it means to live in Canada today. As the Executive Director of ProudPolitics, I work with the Board of Directors to enhance our organization’s capacity and advance our mission of supporting 2SLGBTQI+ leaders in their pursuit of public office and leadership roles. Most of our work is done through research projects, events, social media and candidate training sessions, as well as looking for ways to collaborate with other organizations that share our values and goals.
What inspired you to pursue a career in advocacy/politics?
At some point, you realize the extent of inequality and injustice in the world. For me, this realization came in middle school and high school. With access to social media, I was suddenly exposed to natural disasters, civil wars, famine and various forms of inequality. I began to wonder what I could do with my life to help stop or prevent these injustices, and the answer for me was always politics. It’s hard to be an advocate for everything at once, but I have truly enjoyed the advocacy work I have done so far for human rights, climate action, and political engagement and representation.
How did your experiences at TMU help prepare you for the work you’re doing today?
I’m so grateful to TMU for everything. From the course knowledge to the extracurriculars, the on-campus jobs to the campus supports — all of it impacted the work I do today. I first heard about the ProudPolitics internship through the Faculty of Arts career newsletter, so I absolutely have them to thank for my leadership trajectory within the organization.
What do you hope the future of politics will look like?
Two words: representative politics. I want to see a parliament that reflects the people they represent. I want us to elect our representatives through an electoral system that is based on proportional representation. I want to see higher voter turnouts, more young people involved in politics and a democracy where everyone is involved in the process.