A Day of Joy and Learning: Day of Pink 

This year the International Day of Pink at UTS became a true school-wide celebration involving more students and staff more deeply than ever before in a day of learning and acceptance of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community – leading to a genuine sense of joy in our school community. 

Around the school office and classroom doors were fully decorated in pink, with messages of love and hope, and many students and staff wearing pink in support of the day. Over 20 UTS staff volunteered to lead a broad array of morning workshops for our M3 to S6 (grade 9 to 12) students, as well button-making for our younger students. High notes rose through the Fleck Atrium as student bands played over the noon hour, and our community gathered for food, friends and community over lunch after an inspiring morning of learning. 

“This year’s International Day of Pink theme is re-emergence…” UTS Student Success Teacher Julie Klein, one of the staff on the Day of Pink Committee, told the school-wide assembly. “Together, we can recognize honor and embrace the connections forged by our shared humanity, but also celebrate the beauty that comes from our individual uniqueness… we are privileged to have this opportunity to create a school community that is safe and welcoming to everyone. Being kind costs nothing, but what we stand to gain from opening ourselves up to one another is immeasurable.” UTS Administrative Coordinator D Merkley, another staff leader on the Day of Pink Committee, gave the Land Acknowledgement. 

The assembly also featured keynote speaker Dennis Mawala, a human rights activist from Rainbow Railroad, who spoke about the organization’s work to help 2SLGBTQIA+ people around the world, who face violence and oppression for simply being who they are. Since 2006, they have brought more than 20,000 people facing persecution to safety, and in the first three months of this year, he reports receiving more than 5,000 requests for help. “We exist to make sure that we give people that option of saying after everything is said and done, after they’ve tried and failed, there's nothing more they can do,” he said. “Then we move them to somewhere else. We move them to somewhere where they feel safer…” 

Also at the assembly we heard from S5 (grade 11) Hannah, who along with S5 Bea is a co-lead on the Day of Pink Committee, “The Day of Pink is so important to me, because it celebrates queer identities by involving everyone. Whether or not you're part of the queer community, just listening and acknowledging what we have to say and everything we do is what makes the Day of Pink so impactful.” 

In between speakers, a student pop band played uplifting melodies, and at the end of the assembly the UTS Choir took the stage, all decked in pink for a joyous rendition of the Seasons of Love from the musical Rent that filled the Withrow Auditorium with applause. 

After the assembly M3 to S6 students took part in a broad array of 20 morning workshops led by UTS staff  – from inclusive ecology and sports to intellectual freedom, theatre to current and historical issues facing 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and more. Dennis also led a workshop on refugee rights, and another guest speaker, former UTS math and philosophy teacher Andrew Wilson, spoke on behalf of Amnesty International’s work with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. F1 and F2 students created their own pink day buttons. 

Having a Day of Pink pride flag at our school is not enough, said Chris Walasek, a Canadian World Studies Teacher and one of the leaders on the UTS Day of Pink Committee. “With this day of celebration, we are not only talking the talk, but walking the walk. There are many institutions that are backing away from this message. At UTS, we are saying loud and clear that this is a day that needs to be honoured and celebrated.” 

In the end, Day of Pink is about more than just a colour, said UTS Principal Dr. Leanne Foster. “It's a message that we stand in opposition to judgment and hate, and that we offer care and compassion for all in our community, and particularly for those in our 2SLGBTQIA+ community.”