With the 2022 Calgary Pride Parade taking place on September 4th, and the SAMRU Pride Centre back to regular hours and programs on September 6th, there is plenty to be excited about!

Some exciting news – SAMRU has a spot in this year’s parade! The parade takes place in the Beltline area — it begins on 5th ST SW, goes down 9th Ave SW, and ends in East Village. There is also a festival starting at 12:00pm at Fort Calgary, where there will be performances, food trucks, vendors, kid-friendly activities, and a beer garden. If you’d like to walk with SAMRU in this year’s Pride Parade, register here!

Pride Week in Calgary is from August 26th – September 5th this year, with the 2022 Calgary Pride Parade concluding the celebrations on Sunday, September 4th at 11:00am. To see the other events planned for Pride Week, check out the Calgary Pride Calendar! If you’re interested in learning more about the history of the Calgary Pride Parade, take a peek at our recent blog post.

In addition to taking part in the Calgary Pride Parade, the SAMRU Pride Centre (located in Wyckham House, room Z211) provides a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for all Mount Royal students. Here are some of the programs run by the Pride Centre throughout the school year that you can start looking forward to:

Rainbow Post

Write to a penpal this year! Rainbow Post connects 2SLGBTQ+ and Questioning students with community members together as penpals. 
Register here!

Wellness Wind Down

Wellness Wind Down is held weekly on Thursdays from 2:30pm to 4:00pm in the Pride Centre. This program is in collaboration with Janet Miller from Wellness Services, who is a Queer-safe psychologist. Students will gather weekly to wind down from the week, chat, and hang out in a supportive setting.

Crafternoon

Bring your friends, ideas, conversation, and get ready to de-stress with creative crafting! This weekly crafting session is led by a volunteer instructor on Wednesday afternoons with supplies provided by the Pride Centre.

Live Music Thursdays: Rainbow Edition

A Queer spin on the SAMRU classic Live Music Thursdays, Rainbow Edition was started by a student Pride Ambassador who wanted a fun live Pride event for students to connect outside of the Pride Centre. Featuring local Queer bands and artists, as well as our Gender Affirming Clothing Swap, this event will be making a comeback this year in West Gate Social.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR)

The Pride Centre hosts an annual Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial and candlelight vigil for transgender people who are lost each year due to transphobic, gender-based violence. The event aims to raise awareness of the violence against our transgender and non-Binary peers, and honour the memories of those we have lost.

Gender Bender

The Gender Bender has been in existence for over 20 years, but at its core is all about the exploration and celebration of gender. Typically, this event celebrates first-time student performers. Professional drag artists, burlesque dancers, and vogue performers also get involved to help guide and connect students to their community.

The Pride Centre looks forward to welcoming students back next month. Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈