Warwick Students’ Union helps take Pride 2020 online
Campaigners from Warwick SU are taking a leading role in the organisation of Campus Pride 2020, a digital Pride festival for university students and staff across the UK.
June is traditionally Pride month, celebrating and affirming LGBT+ communities. But with coronavirus still a global threat to health, Pride events, marches and festivals have been cancelled to reduce the risk of a second wave of cases.
Anxious to make sure LGBT+ students, staff and allies could still take part in Pride this year, Warwick SU has thrown its support behind Campus Pride, a summer-long online festival of events and challenges being organised by a coalition of UK students unions.
“Pride is about creating a space to celebrate our identities and community, in contrast to the negativity that often surrounds discussion of LGBT+ issues. We had originally planned a Pride march and festival on the university campus, but with the current restrictions on large gatherings we went digital, and wanted to reach people all across the UK.” – Nathan, an asexual student at Warwick
Events already scheduled include online watch parties, DJ sets and Q and A sessions. Allies are invited to take on one or more online challenges, from the Rainbow Bake-Off to fundraising for the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity that works to support LGBT+ young people who are homeless or precariously housed.
Students from Warwick, Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Aberdeen universities will be among the panellists for “University – A Place for Me?,” an online discussion taking place on 30 June for LGBT+ folks who are considering university but would like to hear from current LGBT+ students about their experiences on campuses across the UK.
“I remember being really worried I wouldn’t fit in, that I wouldn’t find anyone like me, and I’d end up feeling really isolated. My university experience has been the complete opposite of that, so I think it’s important to have this opportunity for people to ask us about the reality of being LGBT+ at university.” – David, a bisexual student at Warwick
- Campus Pride started on 2 June with a ‘watch party’ for Netflix documentary 'A Secret Love' and runs until the end of August.
- Visit https://campuspride.co.uk/ for full listings and more information about how to get involved.
ENDS