On April 10, wear pink in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ community
The second Wednesday of April marks the International Day of Pink, bringing people together in solidarity against homophobic and transphobic bullying.
Day of Pink originated at a Nova Scotia high school in 2007 when two Grade 12 students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, witnessed a Grade 9 student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school.
As an act of resistance against homophobia and transphobia, Shepherd and Price took a stand by distributing 50 pink shirts to students across the school to wear in solidarity. Their initiative sparked a wave of support, inspiring more students to don pink and join in the movement.
As word spread across Canada, other provinces started recognizing Day of Pink. In 2012, the United Nations declared April 10 as the International Day of Pink. Wearing and distributing pink shirts sparked positive momentum and support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, demonstrating how small acts can give rise to significant support.
"Day of Pink stands as a powerful call to action, shaking us from complacency. There has been a mounting level of anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate, including transphobia and homophobia that is manifesting in rallies and legislations, that is harming the 2SLGBTQ+ community,” said Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion Tanya De Mello.
“I call on all TMU community members to amplify our voices and act in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We must increase awareness and mobilize action to ensure that our community members are not only safe on campus, but can flourish.”
Join Positive Space on April 10
On Wednesday, April 10, join the Positive Space Faculty and Staff Network and the TMU community from 12 to 12:45 p.m. at the lobby of the Student Learning Centre (341 Yonge St.) and take a stand against homophobia and transphobia. The theme of this year's Day of Pink is "Let's Celebrate Visibility Together." True to Day of Pink’s origins, Positive Space is centering student voices. All 2SLGBTQ+ community members and allies are invited to hear from the speakers and participate in the annual group photo.
“We find our community yet again being targeted as dangerous and worthy of exclusion from educational spaces,” said Michael Turco, who is a co-chair of Positive Space with Dan Cantiller. “What we also must see repeat itself is our community coming together in organized direct action, political lobbying, solidarity and community care backed by institutional support and leverage.”
Learn more about the event and how to join. All are encouraged to come wearing pink.
Community perspectives on Day of Pink
We asked TMU community members to share their perspectives on what Day of Pink and allyship means to them. Here’s what they shared:
Ahmed Ahmed (he/him)
Strategic Advisor and Senior Resolution Officer, Human Rights Services, Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion
“I love that wearing pink is an act of resistance. I love that fem and queer things can be symbols of resistance. There is joy in coming together in solidarity. It is so queer and trans to make fighting for justice and dignity fabulous! We all have to stand up for trans people because they deserve the same dignity and well-being as the rest of us. And if that's not enough to convince you, remember if they are successful in persecuting trans and queer people, they will come for the rest next.”
Art Blake (he/him)
Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Arts
“As a queer trans person, I'm aware that we are living in extraordinarily dangerous times. Violence against queer and trans people is increasing rapidly in Canada. The 2022 Statistics Canada Hate Crimes Report noted that in 2021, there was a 64 per cent rise in crimes against members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. It also showed that Ontario had just over half of all the hate crimes directed at people on the basis of sexual orientation. I hope we continue bravely stepping forward as a team in these very dangerous times to make TMU the most welcoming university in Canada for queer and trans students, faculty and staff. I know we can do it.”
Rachel DiSaia (they/them)
Associate Director, Next Chapter Implementation and Coordination, University Relations
“In my opinion, the Day of Pink is not a passive holiday to commemorate things getting better but rather a point in time to acknowledge that active allyship is necessary for the safety and survival of queer and gender-diverse people. It is an opportunity to learn more about the current queer experience and to prepare yourself to act when you see the erasure, exclusion, harassment, and abuse of queer folks.”
Roger Castelo (he/they)
Student, Professional Communication, The Creative School
“Day of Pink is a symbol of resistance and communal support against bullying. It is also a political stance against systemic violence that affects how each individual expresses themselves. Pink, for instance, is culturally associated with femininity. During my childhood and adolescence, I suffered bullying for being overtly feminine. I could never really process it all, but I remember that receiving love from my professors, family and friends gave me the strength to survive that period of my life.”
Tamara Sylvester (they/them/one)
Human Rights Resolution Officer, Human Rights Services, Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion
“As a non-binary person, who is consistently misgendered as I navigate a society entrenched in the colonial gender binary, one of the strongest forms of allyship is when a TMU colleague makes that tiny bit of extra effort to ask for my pronouns and makes a quiet commitment to use them whether I am in the room or not. Indeed, in light of the recent spate of anti-trans rhetoric and legislation, using someone's chosen pronouns is more than allyship, it is protest!”
The importance of taking a stance
The actions of Shepherd and Price show how even the smallest gestures can have big impacts. Their story highlights that each of us has the ability to affect meaningful change. What started as a small act of solidarity turned into an international movement, stressing the importance of collective action to support equity-deserving groups. Now more than ever, we must unite in allyship for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and ensure every individual is cherished and respected for who they are.
