UFV has shifted its annual Pride Culture conference into a series of events stretching throughout the academic year.

Activist Ben O’Keefe will kick things off with a keynote address on Tues, Oct 20, from 5 to 7 pm. He will speak on the topic The Intersectionality of Pride: Embracing Our Complexities.

O’Keefe is a human rights activist, progressive strategist, and founder of Give A Damn — an impact entertainment company. His work finds him at the intersection of entertainment and politics, working with organizations, politicians, celebrities, show-runners, and brands to build creative projects that change the world. He previously visited UFV in 2016 as part of the President’s Leadership Lecture Series.

O’Keefe is a respected voice in the #BlackLivesMatter movement, as well as a leader in the LGBTQ+ community. His campaign work started at the age of 18 when he began the movement against clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch’s size-based discrimination then continued to include the #TakeDownTheFlag campaign to remove the Confederate Flag from the South Carolina Statehouse, Alicia Keys’ ‘Vote Love’ campaign, and the viral campaign to save death row inmate Richard Glossip from execution.

There will be weekly sessions in the Pride Culture Series through November 17, when Velvet Steele will wrap up the fall component with a presentation from 7 to 8:30 pm. Other event dates include Oct 27, Nov 3, and Nov 10.  The series will resume with monthly sessions starting in January 2021.

This series of educational and relevant LGBTQ2+ events is free to all high school and post-secondary students as well as UFV alumni. The public may also attend all sessions offered between October 20 and April 2021 for the fee of $10. Donations are graciously being accepted and will be put towards on campus programming and supports and, if enough donations are received, the organizers hope to create a scholarship for self-identified LGBTQ2+ students.

Follow this link to register for the series. In order to attend the Ben O’Keefe event on October 20 you need to register by 4 pm of that day.

https://connect.ufv.ca/pride-conference

Each week will showcase new sessions and speakers that will explore intersectionality, ally-ship, LGBTQIA+ rights, body and sex positivity and more.

Tues, Oct 20 — Ben O’Keefe — 5pm
Keynote — The Intersectionality of Pride: Embracing Our Complexities.

Tues, Oct 27 ­— Emily Bailey from Youth Co. — 4 pm
Mental Health and Local Queer and Trans Youth Organizing
This session will showcase the Do You Mind? program and share how participants gain the health literacy, practical skills, and community networks needed to identify and collectively respond to the systemic and structural challenges impacting their health and that of their peers.

Tues, Nov 3 — Jas Basra, Health Initiative for Men — 4 pm
Power and Privilege
We will explore the intersecting systems of power (including heteronormativity) and identity and how they affect community members’ individual experiences as queer people living in the Lower Mainland.

Nov 3 —Tim Bowman and Tracy Fairfield, The United Church of Canada — 7 pm
Does God Make Mistakes? The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians
We will discuss transgender-affirming theologies and scripture passages and wrestle with ideas about gender identity and the will of God.

Nov 10 — Jade Sol — 4 pm
Excuse me, trans women are dateable
The discussion about being “passable” to the first date to the continuation of the connection and also the conversation about trans bodies are always controversial. This session will shed light as to how my trans sisters and myself are ready for a more meaningful connection.

Nov 17 – Velvet Steele – 7pm
Closing keynote

The Pride Culture Series is presented by UFV Student Life with support from the Coast Capital Savings Peer Resource and Leadership Centre.