It’s officially Pride Month! Celebrating your identity can be exciting, scary, or confusing for many people. Whether you’re out or not, it’s your month to celebrate you! As a queer student, finding places where you fit in and feel accepted is essential. Many people think that the only way to celebrate Pride Month is the annual Pride parade in Toronto, however, this is not the only case. The Kitchener-Waterloo region is a great place to celebrate Pride. Throughout the KW region, there are many events and places to visit to find your community and celebrate your identity. Get out your summer checklist because I will give you a full KW Pride rundown.
Pride at Glow
One great way to celebrate Pride is to get involved with UW’s very own Glow Centre. The Glow Centre is a student-run service that supports the university’s 2SLGBTQIA+ students throughout the school year. Glow has weekly events during Pride Month such as board game nights every Tuesday, Tea Time Talks every Wednesday, and Movie and Music nights every Thursday. These events allow you to meet other queer students and make long-lasting friendships. One big event that Glow has planned is for students to march with them at the Toronto Pride Parade on June 25. Individuals can purchase tickets to attend the parade with Glow and celebrate with the Waterloo community in Toronto. The Glow Centre supports their students year-round, not only during June, so being a part of this community within Waterloo is a great way to celebrate your sexual orientation and gender identity all year.
Follow Glow on Instagram at @uwglow to stay up to date with all the creative and fun events they have planned.
tri-Pride Festival
Waterloo region has an annual Pride celebration of their own. tri-Pride is an annual festival hosted in Waterloo and is considered to be Canada’s largest regional pride festival. It will be held on June 10 at Willow River Park, formally known as Victoria Park, a 20-minute ride via the ION from UW. There is a range of amazing queer artists and drag queens that come to perform every year. This year’s headliner is Alysha Brilla, a three-time Juno Award nominee known for her healing music. There will also be performances from RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Trinity K. Bonet and Ongina. At the festival, you’ll see dozens of vendors, a beer garden, and a kids zone for families — something for everyone. The festival is a great way to meet other local queer folks and get involved with the community. The event will take place between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m., and it will be held outdoors, so remember to bring sunscreen and water.
Pride Dance
Also on June 10, there is a Pride dance hosted by the Waterloo Region Rainbow Coalition and Queer Night Out that takes place at THEMUSEUM located at 10 King St. W., Kitchener. It will follow the tri-Pride festival, with doors opening at 9 p.m. It is a not-for-profit event and tickets can be bought either online or at the door. The event is 19+ and entails a night of dancing and meeting other 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals.
Pride street party
If you’re not over 19 and are looking for another party on the same day, you may want to check out a Pride street party happening on Main Street in downtown Cambridge. The party is hosted by Grand River Pride and is happening from 12:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Similar to the tri-Pride festival, there will be artists and performers such as Canada’s Drag Race contestant Tynomi Banks.
Fundraising gala
The Waterloo region has many great 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations that are hosting amazing events, Spectrum being one of them. Spectrum is hosting a fundraising gala on June 29 that includes dinner and a headlining performance by Canadian comedian Martha Chaves. The event will be held at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum and tickets can be purchased online. The proceeds of this event go towards funding services that Spectrum provides for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community of Waterloo.
2SLGBTQIA+ Spaces
If you’re not looking for an event, but rather a safe space, there are also many places within the KW region to choose from. If you’re in downtown Kitchener, you have to check out places like Darlise Cafe or Cafe Pyrus which have either hosted 2SLGBTQIA+ events or have all-gender washrooms. If you’re in uptown, you’ll want to visit places such as The Jane Bond or Seven Shores which have also been dubbed 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly spaces by the Kitchener Public Library.
While June is a month of celebration and festivities, it is also a month of reflection. A great thing about the KW region is that there are many opportunities to find a local community that accepts you. It’s important to share the love and acceptance we receive with others because that is what this month is about. Celebrating Pride is about sharing your love with the people around you, loud and proud.
