CMST 2XX3 was developed with the goal of highlighting queer representation in media and popular culture as a space for survival and joy
A new course, CMST 2XX3: Queer Popular Culture, has been added to the undergraduate academic calendar at McMaster this year, tailored to explore modern queer popular culture and legacy.
Christina Baade, chair of communication studies and media arts department at McMaster University, explained that the course was created with student need and interest in mind.
She explained that she drew on her personal research area in popular music, sound studies and radio/audio technologies to create a course that highlights positive elements of being queer, as opposed to only highlighting the struggles of the community.
“Very often, sexuality studies can focus on trauma or problems. I think popular cultures are a really useful way [to] look at how people make space to survive and how people make joy even in really difficult political circumstances," said Baade.
Very often, sexuality studies can focus on trauma or problems. I think popular cultures are a really useful way [to] look at how people make space to survive and how people make joy even in really difficult political circumstances.
Christina Baade, Chair
Communication Studies and Media Arts Department
Baade was inspired by her research students, who noticed what she described as a lack of structured exploration into specific elements of queer popular culture. She expressed the importance of including students in the development of this course through the McPherson Student Partners program, as they offer important cultural and generational perspectives.
Together, they have decided to cover certain key topics surrounding queerness in popular culture and look forward to further student input and conversation.
Baade and her team also hope to integrate various technologies and methods of assessment while prioritizing discussion and exploration into niche topics within queer popular culture.
Key themes in the course include global and Western popular culture and media across queer subcultures, as well as the commercialization of Pride and how evolving media plays a role in creating space for communities and conversations.
“Pop culture is always a great way to get into challenging concepts and important conversations in a way that's approachable and can feel safe for a wide range of folks,” said Baade.
Pop culture is always a great way to get into challenging concepts and important conversations in a way that's approachable and can feel safe for a wide range of folks.
Christina Baade, Chair
Communication Studies and Media Arts Department
This course will be available to all students registered in Level II or above and is scheduled to run in the Winter 2026 term.
Through mentorship, networking events and ally support, the DeGroote Pride Association is empowering 2SLGBTQIA+ business students to lead in an evolving industry
In a field where many can feel expected to conform to traditional and heteronormative standards, a new club is redefining what leadership in business can look like for queer students. The DeGroote Pride Association, launched in 2024, is a student group at McMaster University dedicated to fostering a safer and more inclusive space for queer business students and their allies.
According to Ela Murray, the incoming President for the 2025-26 academic year, the DPA is built on three key pillars: expanding outreach, building an inclusive network and empowering communities both within and beyond the DeGroote School of Business.
The club strives to connect with students and community members who share its values, seeking to strengthen the queer community while also enhancing the educational, professional and social experiences of its members.
In its first year, the DPA organized events designed to support both career and personal development. Their flagship conference, called Beyond, brought together panelists from companies like Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank and TD Canada Trust to share their experiences navigating corporate environments as queer individuals. The event emphasized the importance of representation and offered students the opportunity to hear how identity and leadership intersect in real-world business settings.
Minna Durrani, the incoming Vice President External of DPA whose role involves building connections and partnerships outside McMaster, shared that conversations about coming out as queer are still not fully normalized.
Murray, who recently completed her internship year, spoke about workplace concerns queer students may face when entering the business sector.
You’re constantly analyzing your surroundings. Is this safe? Will coming out cost me a promotion or my wage? Will it change how I’m seen?
Ela Murray, President
DeGroote Pride Association, McMaster University
“Queer people are constantly having to do research about companies…when it comes to queer values within a company . . .There is a mental toll on [people] and it comes with a lot of anxiety. [They wonder] how can they focus on their work when they also have to focus on if they are going to be accepted in their workplace,” said Murray.
To address these barriers, DPA has worked to build a network of support that includes both queer students and allies. Madison Damiano, the incoming Vice President Internal of DPA whose role focuses on fostering meaningful connections within McMaster, including maintaining relationships with the business faculty and on-campus stakeholders, noted that, around thirty per cent of the club’s general members are allies and DPA sees their role as essential.
The club also hosted an "allyship workshop" with the McMaster Equity and Inclusion Office. The workshop challenged participants to think critically about unconscious bias and the deeper meaning of allyship.
“It’s easy to call yourself an ally. But are you truly one? Do you know what it means to be an ally? Do you know the history? Are you educated on the subject matter? It’s easy to be supportive but it’s harder to stay educated and stay quiet when it’s your turn to be quiet. The allyship panel taught [people] that lesson. It really resonated with some of the allies in our club. They’re learning to sit down when it’s their turn to sit down, to speak up when it is, and to continue staying educated,” said Durrani.
By hosting workshops and events that center queer voices, DPA is working to close the gap between university life and the realities of the workplace. They aim to create a space where queer students can embrace leadership roles without compromising their identities.
Recognition for DPA’s impact came at the end of the academic year, when the group was named Club of the Year at the DeGroote Commerce Society’s leadership gala.
Sometimes it’s easy to feel discouraged…but winning this award [reminded] us that our members do care and it benefits them, they enjoy it and they found community within us
Minna Durrani, Vice-President External,
DeGroote Pride Association, McMaster University
As they look to the year ahead, DPA hopes to continue building momentum, with expanded outreach and a return of their flagship event. More than just a club, the DPA is helping reshape what the future of business, representation and leadership can look like.
The DPA will be walking in the annual Toronto Pride Parade on June 29. To know more about the club, visit their Instagram and general member sign-up.
Following through on MSU President Piper Plavins’ campaign promise, the Pride Community Centre is developing a 2SLGBTQ+ mentorship program for the coming year
As a campaign promise of current MSU President Piper Plavins, incoming students are set to have access to a new 2SLGBTQ+ mentorship program through the Pride Community Centre come September 2025. Both Kiran Oberai, the centre’s director, and Plavins confirmed in interviews with the Silhouette that the program is on track to launch in September and elaborated on the plans.
In line with Plavins’ election promise, both interviewees suggested the aim of the program would be to pair incoming 2SLGBTQ+ students with third or fourth-year student mentors who could provide support through the transition to university life and, Oberai hopes, long-term friendships.
In her interview, Plavins explained that the inspiration for this program was personal.
“A lot of this was inspired by my own personal journey. Here I was trying to navigate coming into university being an adult while also trying to accept my sexuality and figure out who I was . . . I did feel very alone and I didn't have that support.”
Plavins added that she hoped the mentorship program could help support incoming students in similar positions.
“So they know one person . . . It's really important to have one person in your corner to help guide you and support you,” said Plavins. She also hoped mentors could help guide incoming students to existing resources.
Oberai’s vision for the future of the program was focused on addressing similar needs.
“I think McMaster does still have a lot of barriers for queer students.”
“It's often very refreshing to talk with someone who gets it . . . You don't have to explain your experiences and explain why you're facing challenges before you can get that support from someone . . . I think that experience is often overlooked; that of peer support and emotional connection," said Oberai.
I think that experience is often overlooked; that of peer support and emotional connection.
Kiran Oberai, Director,
Pride Community Centre
Creating pairings of mentors and mentees with similar experiences would be important to the success of the program according to Oberai, how to make these connections based on limited information will be a key issue for the program's development.
“We started having these conversations already . . . what information is important to pair students? Is it important that they have a similar queer identity? Is it important they have similar other identities like race, ethnicity, ability?”
Getting enough engagement to make more specific pairings was a hurdle both Plavins and Oberai identified. Each hoped to find ways to engage both current and incoming students, identifying this as a key step for the ongoing planning phase.
Both Oberai and Plavins hope that as the planning stage progresses, they can learn from the experience of other mentorship programs at McMaster.
Oberai, a student of the faculty of arts and science, used the example of the faculty’s mentorship program to explain his own excitement for this program.
“I think it was a really meaningful relationship just to have an upper-year [student] to talk to . . .this program isn’t going to be geared to matching students within the same program, so it will be a lot of thinking about what challenges queer students face on campus and how can having someone to talk to about that really support students?”
So [planning] will be a lot of thinking about what challenges queer students face on campus and how can having someone to talk to about that really support students?
Kiran Oberai, Director
Pride Community Centre
Despite the challenges each of them identified, both Plavins and Oberai believe the program will meaningfully help 2SLGBTQ+ students.
“The transition into university can be difficult for many individuals and it's really important that you have support and have someone to help you navigate this time. And I think that for queer students this is an additional level of support that will really help them to flourish and build their own community here at McMaster," said Plavins.
More details will be made available through the Pride Community Centre as the mentorship program is developed. Interested students should consult the centre's social media in September for details.
Because sometimes, the first place you feel seen isn’t your childhood home; it’s a late-night study room, a club meeting, or a friend who simply calls you by the right name
For many 2SLGBTQIA+ students, the first place they ever feel safe being themselves isn't home—it's here, at McMaster.
Coming out isn’t always a big announcement or a milestone moment. For some, it’s a quiet decision to correct someone’s pronouns in class. For others, it’s something that doesn’t happen at all; not while they’re still living under their parents’ roof, or while they’re financially dependent on a family that wouldn't understand where they're coming from.
In these cases, McMaster isn’t just a school; it becomes a sanctuary. But while McMaster can offer safety, growth, and affirmation, it still has work to do to fully support the queer students who depend on it.
For closeted or semi-closeted students, campus life can offer a quiet kind of liberation. You’re no longer being watched constantly. You get to choose who you are: your name, your clothes, your people. And those people matter.
Finding a chosen family on campus can be a lifeline, not just emotionally, but in a very real, practical sense. It might be the friend who walks you home after a late club meeting, not because you asked, but because they just want you to feel safe. It might be the professor who doesn’t pause when using your correct pronouns, making you feel seen in an academic space that often feels rigid and impersonal. Or maybe it’s the upper-year mentor who’s lived through the same fears, the same double life, and reminds you, just by existing, that it gets better.
Finding a chosen family on campus can be a lifeline, not just emotionally, but in a very real, practical sense.
These relationships can be more than comforting; they can be transformative. They can allow students to begin rewriting their self-worth outside of rejection, silence, or fear. In a world that often tells people to shrink themselves, chosen family gives them space to expand.
While McMaster offers many 2SLGBTQIA+ clubs and community resources to help build these connections, the most powerful moments can often happen outside structured spaces.
It’s in those dorm-room conversations where someone opens for the first time. It’s the quiet solidarity of a late-night bubble tea run after a hard day. It’s the everyday rituals—walking to class together, swapping stories, being known—that make students feel rooted in who they are. These moments matter because they shift a student's sense of belonging from conditional to unconditional.
While McMaster is a safe space, structural support has to match social support. Gender-inclusive housing,, name-change policies that don’t require legal documents and 2SLGBTQIA+-competent mental health services need to be more than just ideas floating around; they need to be accessible realities.
Beyond campus, the city of Hamilton plays a role in not being fully accepting. For students who can’t be out at home, having welcoming cafés, 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly events and community support groups off-campus matters. While Hamilton’s 2SLGBTQIA+ scene is growing, it still lacks the consistency and safety of more visibly progressive cities.
“I avoid holding hands or PDA with my girlfriend in fear of being called out or harassed. Hamilton is a bit if a sketch which is why I have this fear" says a student anonymously sharing their experience over Reddit.
Pride is often framed as a celebration of love, and it is. But for many McMaster students, it’s also about survival. It’s about love that doesn’t come from parents or partners, but from the family we build when we’re finally free to breathe.
McMaster’s LGBTQ2SIA+ Athletic Advocacy Group has slowly, but steadily gained traction since the group came into the frame two years ago
The McMaster LGBTQ2SIA+ Athletic Advocacy Group, known by their acronym LAAG, has continued their work to ensure everyone at McMaster feels safe and supported when participating in sport. Whether that be competing for a varsity team, or using the campus’ recreational facilities.
The Silhouette sat down with co-president Sarah Oresnik a year after last Interviewing them. We wanted to see how the past year has been for LAAG and what the may future hold for the organization.
Oresnik describes LAAG as an “inclusive community”. They also emphasized that LAAG is not exclusively for student varsity athletes: “When we started this group, we wanted to include all queer individuals who’ve been in sporting spaces throughout their lives. All of us have different journeys, which require different methods to address the inequities we’ve faced."
LAAG has continued their focus on fostering inclusivity through advocacy work and events throughout the past year.
“The events we hold throughout the year allow us to meet other queer individuals and form connections with them, thus building a community,” said Oresnik.
The events we hold throughout the year allow us to meet other queer individuals and form connections with them, thus building a community.
Sarah Oresnik, Co-President,
McMaster LGBTQ2SIA+ Athletic Advocacy Group
In regards to the events LAAG facilitates, this year they held another pride game, tote bag decorating event for exam destressing, and a climbing event.
The pride game this year was for one of the soccer games at the beginning of the school year.
“The one thing I love about running our pride games is that we have 12 pride flags, expressing as many identities as we can hanging around the field. It’s so cool to see pride present throughout the game, and it’s a big reminder to people.” Oresnik said.
The pride game this year, although successful, did provide some similar lessons as last year's.
“Something we’re working towards is building an education [around] what it means to wear a pride shirt as people who aren’t part of the community might not know what it means.” Oresnik said.
In preparation for future pride games, Oresnik touched on how they could possibly educate athletes.
“In the future, we want to meet with the teams and have conversations about why it’s important to wear pride shirts. Most of the time, it feels like teams are forced into it, and don’t understand the importance.” Oresnik said.
In the future, we want to meet with the teams and have conversations about why it’s important to wear pride shirts. Most of the time, it feels like teams are forced into it, and don’t understand the importance.
Sarah Oresnik, Co-President,
McMaster LGBTQ2SIA+ Athletic Advocacy Group
Another issue LAAG hopes to address in the future is the barriers male athletes face to coming out. Oresnik cited the most recent Olympics as an example, which had a record number of out 2sLGBTQIA+ individuals, but saw out women outnumber out men nine to one.
“Unfortunately, there is a stereotype of being queer as a feminine personality, although it is not, and this is one of the things that always drives me forward with education–this idea that people feel safe with their team, even though they are not out.” said Oresnik.
In the upcoming year LAAG hopes to expand their involvement with the broader community.
This past year, LAAG sold cupcakes outside of DBAC to raise money for speqtrum, a youth-oriented 2SLGBTQIA+ community group.
“What’s so amazing about this is that everyone that comes by is interested about where the proceeds go to, and they always want to learn more about our work.” Oresnik said.
Oresnik highlighted specific ideas they had for potential future partnerships.
“Something BSAC did was bring in local vendors for their games, and that’s definitely something we want to incorporate as well.” said Oresnik.
The drag and deserts event LAAG held at the end of the 2024-25 school year had more attendance than they expected, which Oresnik saw as a promising sign for the year to come.
“We had over 70 participants, which was an amazing turnout. We hope to take this momentum into the next school year.” Oresnik said.
As LAAG looks to hit the ground running for the 2025-26 school year, you can stay up to date with their events and initiatives by visiting them on Instagram at @laagmcmaster.
The Westdale Theatre partners with Hamilton’s House of Adam and Steve
Reel Queens is a recurring night of queer film and art. A drag show, followed by a camp movie, featuring audience interactions and dance breaks. It is an event regulars of the Westdale Theatre have come to expect and love.
Reel Queens chose to celebrate Pride this year with a screening of camp classic Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, including a performance of the titular character’s interpretive dance live alongside the screen.
The minds behind the show come from Hamilton’s own House of Adam and Steve, a group known for organizing queer events around the city. The organization and its co-founder, Steven Hilliard, has touched everything from drag brunches to trivia nights to cabaret shows. But pairing drag with a movie in a smaller space has drawn out audiences constantly for years now.
Hilliard believes that the Westdale Theatre has been a proactive contributor to the expansion of Queer culture in Hamilton and discussed the initial conceptualization of Reel Queens.
“[The Westdale Theater] wanted people to know that the Westdale was a spot that does support the local 2SLGBTIA+ community,” said Hilliard.
Hilliard also spoke about how drag events were an eye opener to queer culture and identity as younger person.
“When I was a kid, the only place I could see drag was in a club,” said Hilliard. “I was struggling with my gender, my sexuality and I didn’t know where I fit in. I saw a drag artist for the first time and it really changed the way I thought about myself.”
Putting drag in a largely student and family community like Westdale Village is one of the reasons Hilliard considers Reel Queens to be so important.
“The Westdale providing this stage is really special because queer art saves lives… I feel like there’s not a whole lot [in the Westdale Village] that is overtly as queer as Reel Queens,” said Hilliard
Hilliard and the House of Adam and Steve aim to create a low-pressure outlet into queer culture through Reel Queens.
“It’s a great way to expose yourself to that sort of culture you might not get in small towns . . . you can come and relax and have a good time and not be afraid to be yourself. And, you know, be as queer as you want to be,” said Hilliard.
Hilliard recalled a time when queer culture was not as safe or openly celebrated, describing a time when there were “five gay, queer spaces. And they all but disappeared, all at once. It was a scary time to be queer in Hamilton.” In the last decade, organizations such as the House of Adam and Steve have worked with queer artists and allies to create their own safe spaces.
Hilliard emphasized the amount of queer safe spaces that are now available today in Hamilton and their importance to the community. “Not only do you have events and spaces where you can go and feel safe and feel welcome, but there’s an abundance of them . . . we’re no longer segregated to one spot in the city, or one bar. We’re not hiding behind closed doors,” said Hilliard.
Reel Queens events are hosted throughout the year at the Westdale Theater, hosted and put on by a variety of drag performers. Students interested in attending can find upcoming schedules and announcements at the Westdale Theatre or through the House of Adam and Steve.
EngiQueers and Degroote Pride's karaoke night builds community through music and laughter for a smooth transition from the holidays into the semester
The McMaster EngiQueers and DeGroote Pride Association collaborated to host Divas & Icons karaoke night on Jan. 10, 2025. The event took place from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at Emerson 109 Bar where students gathered for karaoke, drinks and food.
Rachel Ord, vice-president social of McMaster EngiQueers, discussed the club's role at McMaster. "Our main goal is to provide a safe space and a welcoming community for queer engineering students. And that involves doing things like outreach activities, fundraisers and planning social events for our community members," said Ord.
Ord shared that the motivation behind hosting a karaoke night was to connect the queer community. "Karaoke or lip syncing to something and dancing and singing to those sorts of songs is a big thing in the queer community, at least with drag race and that sort of thing. So that's where the divas and icons theme came from. You find a lot of queer culture surrounds singing and dancing and performing a lot of self-expression," said Ord.
This unique collaboration was prompted by the DeGroote Pride Association, a new club looking to connect with established groups.
"Being a relatively new club they had a lot of great ideas and they were reaching out to a variety of equity clubs on campus. And so we thought it would be a great idea to collab just because I know that engineering and business isn't something that we see collaborations happen with often. But there's a lot of potential there with people coming together and enjoying themselves," said Ord.
And so we thought it would be a great idea to collab just because I know that engineering and business isn't something that we see collaborations happen with often. But there's a lot of potential there with people coming together and enjoying themselves.
Rachel Ord, Vice-President Social
McMaster EngiQueers
The event allowed attendees to signup to perform a song of their choice by themselves or with a group on stage throughout the entire night. Guests were also able to order food and drinks were available at the bar.
"We do actually have custom drinks available during the evening that are based off of various queer themes . . . it's something that Emerson 109 offers, which is a lot of fun, because it adds like a little extra thing to the event that you wouldn't otherwise get," said Ord.
New students were welcomed at the event as it was a great opportunity to connect with other people and club members. "All the EngiQueer execs are always ready to look out for people who are perhaps sitting alone and provide a welcoming vibe for everybody involved," said Ord.
Ord discussed the importance of creating spaces through fun events like a karaoke night.
"Because when you see people running events like this, like evening events and especially kind of in club atmospheres, as a queer person, you're not always sure that that's someplace you'll be welcomed at . . . I think the importance of creating these spaces kind of speaks to what these spaces can produce, which is friendships and lifelong relationships between other queer students and other members of the queer community," said Ord.
Because when you see people running events like this, like evening events and especially kind of in club atmospheres, as a queer person, you're not always sure that that's someplace you'll be welcomed at.
Rachel Ord, Vice-President Social
McMaster EngiQueers
Looking ahead, Ord discussed the importance of creating queer-friendly spaces for students at McMaster. "Not speaking from a club perspective but speaking from a business perspective, hosting events like this shows that you, as a company or an event space, are willing to support their community and are willing to put effort into creating safe spaces for queer individuals," said Ord.
Ord strongly encouraged students to get involved and engage with people in their own communities at least once before graduating. "You never know what connections you can make and you never know the people you can meet and you never know what you can learn from that and how you can grow from that," said Ord.
Check out McMaster EngiQueers and DeGroote Pride Association on Instagram to stay tuned for more engaging events!
The Student Wellness Centre hosted four events throughout June, providing opportunities for 2SLGBTQIA+ students to connect with each other
At McMaster University, different student services and clubs have been celebrating Pride in a number of different ways. The EngiQueers took students to march in the Toronto Pride parade. The Faculty of Health Sciences hosted a talk with nurse and equity advocate Ellie Reyes about providing thoughtful, respectful care for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
This year, the Student Wellness Centre also hosted four events to celebrate and recognize all 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
They kicked off the series with their “Embracing Gender Diversity” in-person drop-in group. They also hosted a “Food for Thought: 2SLGBTQIA+ Friendly Student Cooking Session” where they made veg stroganoff. The SWC’s “Queer Movie Night” took place on June 15 with the movie being “Saving Face”. They finished off the month with a Pride social which included guided painting, snacks and games. This last event was exclusively for 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
Taylor Mertens and Zeinab Khawaja, health promoters at the SWC, worked diligently to bring students these events. They both expressed that the hope with this programming was to have a space exclusively for members of the queer community to meet and expand their own network of classmates.
“It’s an opportunity to connect, do something creative and just meet other students with similar identities. Which can be really hard for a lot of students. There’s a lot of loneliness and not knowing where to meet other 2SLGBTQIA+ students,” said Khawaja.
It’s an opportunity to connect, do something creative and just meet other students with similar identities. Which can be really hard for a lot of students. There’s a lot of loneliness and not knowing where to meet other 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
Zeinab Khawaja, health promoter, Student Wellness Centre
The earlier inclusion of events open to 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, questioning folks and straight allies and then later events exclusively for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community was purposeful.
By creating events that are open for questioning students, they hoped students would also have a space where they could comfortably explore their identity and then feel more confident to attend 2SLGBTQIA+ community exclusive events in the future.
Mertens and Khawaja explained that this progression was also meant to be supportive for individuals who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ but may not feel comfortable entering an exclusive space yet.
“Entering a closed space can be a little difficult for people and feelings of not being gay enough, not being queer enough, “not being “x” enough” essentially. The idea is that we’re kind of building up for that. So hopefully, we will have people attend multiple events and feel a little bit more secure and supported to be able then to go to the Pride Social and stuff like that,” said Mertens.
Both Mertens and Khawaja shared that in recent years they have noticed the large influx of McMaster students that find themselves in Hamilton over the summer. Knowing this, they hope to have pride events and other programs like these to support students in the summer months.
“This year there’s a lot of international students who are around during the summer and then [graduate] students [have] to be around in the summer as well as undergrad students who are taking summer courses or just wanting to live independently. We’re trying to be more intentional about having summer programming [for] all students,” said Khawaja.
This year there’s a lot of international students who are around during the summer and then [graduate] students [have] to be around in the summer as well as undergrad students who are taking summer courses or just wanting to live independently. We’re trying to be more intentional about having summer programming [for] all students.
Zeinab Khawaja, health promoter, Student Wellness Centre
Although Pride month has come to an end, the focus on celebrating and supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals doesn't. Khawaja and Mertens shared their goals for the upcoming years with the Silhouete.
Khawaja explained their focus on the intersectionality of identity. By integrating intersectional language into the currently offered programs, she hopes that people who are often overlooked will feel included in programs hosted by the SWC.
Mertens hopes to share knowledge about active living spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ members. He has found that these spaces are often dominated by cisgender heter onormative communities, sometimes deterring 2SLGBTQIA+ members from partaking. They have more programs in the works for the school year, including drag shows and potlucks.
Forge partners with Volkswagen to support speqtrum Hamilton through proceeds from Pride match featuring the Pacific Football Club
The Forge Football Club hosted a Pride soccer match sponsored by Volkswagen with proceeds going to support speqtrum, a 2SLGBTQIA+ program through the Young Women’s Christian Association of Canada’s Hamilton chapter.
Focusing on community building and development, speqtrum provides services, events and skill workshops to assist queer and trans young people in Hamilton. speqtrum also offers programs such as weekly check-ins, peer support with staff to chat and provide services over online platforms.
On June 1, the team announced on Instagram post that their June 10 home game at Tim Hortons Field would be held in celebration of Pride month.
"I think it’s important for us to host [the Pride match] for a number of reasons, but the least of all just visibility and going the extra mile to prove that Tim Hortons Field is an inclusive space,” said Shannon Connolly, manager of community partnerships for Forge FC.
I think it’s important for us to host [the Pride match] for a number of reasons, but the least of all just visibility and going the extra mile to prove that Tim Hortons Field is an inclusive space.
Shannon Connolly, manager of community partnerships, Forge Football Club
The team also announced multiple promotional and merchandise opportunities through which fans could donate to the program. These include a “#BeTheChange Pride Package’’ which contained a ticket to the game, a commemorative pride Forge FC shirt, a charitable $10 donation to speqtrum and a $10 matching donation made by Volkswagen.
In addition to the package, $5 proceeds from the team’s Pride collection sales will also be donated to speqtrum for the remainder of the merchandise’s supply.
"Our mandate in our community department is always to focus on healthy, active and empowered youth . . . We immediately thought of speqtrum when we were looking for a partner for this match because they work really closely with youth and families,” said Connolly.
Our mandate in our community department is always to focus on healthy, active and empowered youth . . . We immediately thought of speqtrum when we were looking for a partner for this match because they work really closely with youth and families.
Shannon Connolly, manager of community partnerships, Forge Football Club.
The first 3,000 fans who attended the game were given a Pride Forge FC bandana as part of the team’s giveaway. Unique visual elements were present at the match, including custom corner flags as well as a rainbow-coloured armband for Kyle Bekker, the team captain for the Forge.
Per Connolly, approximately 200 tickets were donated to speqtrum on behalf of Forge and Volkswagen and given to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth from across Hamilton to attend the match.
Per Connolly, approximately 200 tickets were donated to speqtrum on behalf of Forge and Volkswagen and given to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth from across Hamilton to attend the match.
Playing against the Pacific Football Club, the Forge lost 0-1 after a late game goal by forward Djenairo Daniels. Both teams played a tightly contested game all throughout the match. After a scoreless first half, a misplay by Forge players Dom Samuel and Triston Henry allowed Pacific FC forward Daniels to notch a wide-open goal in the 85th minute of play.
Despite a 56.4 per cent possession rate for the Forge, the Pacific’s 16 shots and relentless offense managed to overpower the hometown Hammers and bring the visitors to victory. After the game, the Forge sit in third place in the Canadian Premier League standings with four wins, four draws and two losses.
The Forge continue to make donations to speqtrum with merchandise purchases from their 2023 Pride Collection along with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
C/O Yoohyun Park, Multimedia Coordinator
The 2SLGBTQIA+ community is celebrated in June but come July, rainbow flags are often quickly shed by their “allies”
By Fatima Sarfraz, Staff Writer
June starts off colourful, with rainbows plastered over company merchandise and Instagram feeds. Upon opening Subway Surfers, many are pleased to find they are now running through the streets of San Francisco, which have been adorned with Pride flags. Rainbows are the only thing on gamers’ minds as they do their best to collect them on their run to unlock a new prize.
However, the game now displays the streets of Iceland, without a single pride flag in sight.
Performative and insincere activism, called “slacktivism”, can be harmful as it gives individuals the impression they are supporting a cause and a community when, in actuality, their efforts do little to support the targeted community and can even perpetuate harm against them.
Arguably, the worst slacktivists are larger corporations. They appear to be advocating for communities, such as the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, but they are also pushing their own agenda, using seemingly supportive initiatives to bring in a larger, more diverse audience and, in turn, a greater revenue.
Arguably, the worst slacktivists of all are larger corporations. They appear to be advocating for communities, such as the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, but they are also pushing their own agenda, using seemingly supportive initiatives to bring in a larger, more diverse audience and in turn, a greater revenue.
Rainbow washing, a form of slacktivism, has become an annual marketing scheme often utilized by large corporations, including American telecommunications company AT&T. AT&T appeared supportive of the Pride movement by adding a rainbow to their logo. However, under their rainbow get-up, that they had so publicly donned, lay the ugly truth: AT&T had donated more than $63,000 to anti-2SLGBTQIA+ state legislation.
Other forms of rainbow washing could include if a corporation starts slapping the pride flag onto their regular merchandise, temporarily change their logos or launch Pride intiatives during June month without showing sustained support throughout the year.
While they continue to advocate for companies to actually take action, Dylan Horner and Kendall Gender, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, voiced their appreciation for the visibility these marketing strategies provide. Horner believes this kind of visibility is especially helpful for individuals who are not completely comfortable with their identity or live in rural areas. Gender says sponsorships from big companies for queer creators are also beneficial as they provide financial backing that can open up new avenues for them.
As I write this article, I also can’t help but wonder what happens if a child notices their Subway Surfers character only must collect rainbows in June and maybe forms connections with the Pride flags they see around their neighbourhood. Perhaps they even will begin to wonder what these rainbows signify and who they represent.
The celebrations of this community and their rights should not be seasonal though. This community wants to see a genuine effort being made to include them. Small changes can be implemented within a company to make their operations more inclusive while also simultaneously educating and encourage the rest of team to be strong allies.
The celebrations of this community and their rights should not be seasonal though. This community wants to see a genuine effort being made to include them.
CEO and co-founder of Feminuity, Sarah Saska, proposes several solutions such as setting up data collection tools that are not limited to gender or sexuality. Saska says this helps understand a person’s identity and what they need.
Rainbow washing corporations only have their best interest in mind. They view Pride month as the perfect opportunity to promote either themselves or their merchandise. Corporations have exploited this community for too long with some even going as far as “donating” thousands, if not millions, to legislations and movements against this community. As true allies, we need to push for genuine actions that support members of the 2SLGBTQIA+.