Pride committee calls on UWindsor to fund 2SLGBTQ+ support following hateful vandalism

Following hateful vandalism to its student pride centre, the University of Windsor's Pride Committee is calling on the school to properly fund 2SLGBTQ+ support for the community.

Earlier last month, the school's student pride centre had homophobic slurs carved into its door three days in a row. In an open letter to university president Robert Gordon this week, the school's Pride Committee said it's "unfair, and beyond expectation, that a student organization is responsible for dealing with this trauma."

Pride Committee co-chair Ashlyne O'Neil told CBC News that the university doesn't have one full-time staff member who is dedicated to supporting and advocating for the 2SLGBTQ+ community on campus.

"We as a committee have been advocating for a lot of these things for a long time," said O'Neil, who is a faculty member in the office of open learning.

"Now that something so visible and so hateful has happened, it was really kind of our opportunity to say, 'hey, this is something that we really need.'"

The University of Windsor did not respond in time for publication.

And while the incident has encouraged the group to create a call to action, committee co-chair Mack Park says they've been hearing concerns from the campus' 2SLGBTQ+ community for some time.

"When we hear feedback from students of discrimination and things that they've experienced on-campus, we need some way to be able to support them and respond that is also institutionally supported and embedded," they said.

This is the University of Windsor's student pride centre. This is the door that was repeatedly vandalized with homophobic slurs early last month. (Jennifer La Grassa/CBC)

Over 140 people have signed in support of letter

O'Neil says the Pride Committee has many allies in the school's office of the vice-president, people, equity and inclusion. In 2019, she says they started to work together to hire full-time support, but that the funding ultimately didn't come through.

"There's no one currently with the lived experience and ability and capacity ... to be able to do as much as our institution currently needs," said O'Neil.

Park says on top of social support, the person could also handle the increasing number of requests for 2SLGBTQ+ training and education.

And both co-chairs say they believe that a dedicated staff member will also help the university be seen as a leader and ally in the broader societal conversation happening around 2SLGBTQ+ rights.

Currently, the Pride Committee has about 20 members, made up of faculty, staff and students. O'Neil says for many of them, the committee is something they volunteer their time to and work on in their spare time.

Faculty members do have to dedicate some hours to service groups, but she says it's not enough for what she believes the community needs.

Meanwhile the student pride centre, which was vandalized, is completely separate. It is the only space for 2SLGBTQ+ members and its president is the only paid position, according to O'Neil.

She added that the group mostly takes on social supports and events for students.

The letter from the committee states that because the only paid pride-work related position is a student role, that "ignores the population of 2SLGBTQIA+ faculty and staff on campus who also need support and advocacy."

"We post that in order to effectively provide equitable and inclusive experiences for everyone on our campus, we must approach this work through both student and employee perspectives; a full-time position could support both those efforts," reads part of the letter.

As of Thursday evening, 141 people had signed their name to the letter.

As for the student pride centre incident, O'Neil says it's still under investigation. The centre and committee are also performing a needs assessment, which will allow them to better understand what will help students feel safe and cared for.

Since sending out its open letter, O'Neil says the committee hasn't heard from president Gordon, but that they've met with a special constable on campus who is expected to relay their concerns and asks.

O'Neil and Park say they are hopeful that the university will take their concerns seriously and make changes.