Observances

Hanging flags for the Transgender Day of Visibility

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Photo of a pride flag hanging in front of a bright window in a dark staircase

“No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us” — Micah Bazant Today, March 31, is the Transgender Day of Visibility, and as always, CHASI stands in unwavering support and solidarity with our trans friends, family, colleagues, and community members. We know that this is a difficult time, and believe that loud, … Read more

Art: “Welcome to Palestine”

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Thumbnail image of an iIllustration show a hand holding up a photo. In the foreground, the photo shows a vibrant, colourful marketplace full of people; in the background, it shows the same location, grey and reduced to rubble and ruins. The illustration highlights the contrast between the city that once existed, and the devastated state it is currently in.

“Welcome to Palestine” by CHASI artist-in-residence and UFV student Sharon Strauss. Sharon writes: “I hope that someday the Palestinian people can live and thrive in their homeland, free of war and oppression.” This piece was partially inspired in anticipation of the UFV Faculty & Staff Association‘s event on Monday, October 6.  The presentation from Sara … Read more

Art: “In spite of it all, I’m proud I’m me”

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Illustration. It shows a colourful image of a femme person with neon rainbow lines across her skin like paint splatters. She's forming her hands into a heart, and the negative space forming the heart shape is coloured red. Her hair is long, black, and flowing wildly forming a black background to the whole piece. Her eyes are closed and she wears a look of content. Around her head are purple butterflies made of sharp angles almost like broken glass. The piece has a tone of loving acceptance.

To mark the final day of Disability Pride Month, CHASI presents a new piece from CHASI artist-in-residence Sharon Strauss: “In spite of it all, I’m proud I’m me” Sharon writes: “Growing up with an invisible disability was hard. Made more difficult by my own ignorance of it. For so long I felt broken, wrong, not … Read more

CHASI organizes third annual Walkout in Support of Women in Afghanistan

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Poster for a walkout in support of women in Afghanistan. A large illustration depicts Illustration of a woman in a blue burqa holding a rose. She is standing in a field of red flowers. The bottom of her burqa is on fire and the fire blends into the red and orange flowers around her. The background is bright white with indications of a smoky sky. Text reads: "It’s been four years since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and began taking rights from women. Join us for a walkout to raise awareness and stand in solidarity with those women.Ban education. Block healthcare. Bury hope. Afghanistan’s women deserve better. Thursday, August 14 | 12:00–12:30 PM UFV Abbotsford | Breezeway between buildings A&B."

When a regime bans girls from education, bars women from healthcare jobs, and blocks their access to treatment, it’s not just oppression, it’s a slow, deliberate death sentence. August marks four years since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. Please join us at noon on Thursday, August 14 for our third annual walkout of UFV’s … Read more

Pride collaborations: 3rd annual Tea Dance and CHASI featured in The Cascade

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Attendees at the Tea Dance stand around a table, holding bingo cards. One smiles at the camera, while others look off camera towards the stage.

On June 25, UFV celebrated Pride with the third annual Tea Dance — with this year featuring Drag Musical Bingo hosted by UFV’s own Colin Alda Monsters! The event was hosted and organized by Sustainable UFV and CHASI, with support from UFV’s Faculty and Staff Association. On the same day, our friends at UFV’s autonomous … Read more

Pride 2024 Art

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Illustration of a brick wall with words spray painted on it, including bigotry, hate, and others that aren't fully in view. A figure with long hear and a skirt and their back to the camera is swinging a giant paintbrush forcefully, spreading a bright rainbow across the words and blocking them out.

“Art, to me, is fundamentally about expression: ideas, emotion, and defiance. I think these are similar to the goals of Pride. It is celebration and protest, a way to be seen and change the way people see us, a chance to be us, unapologetically” – Sharon Strauss, CHASI Artist-In-Residence

Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Colourful illustration of a woman sitting in a clam shell, reminiscent of Botticelli's Birth of Venus. She has dark brown skin and long flowing black hair, and wears a yellow wrap that leaves her back and arms exposed. Along her back and arms are intricate tattooed patterns — Batok, as described in this post's caption. Her eyes are closed and she has an expression of peace or joy as she raises one arm up towards a wave of water or clouds in the abstract background.

May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and as it draws to a close, we share this beautiful piece by CHASI artist-in-residence Sharon Strauss. Writing about this piece, Sharon says: “Batok is an indigenous Filipino style of tattooing that predates the colonization of the Philippines. It is traditionally done by hand-tapping the ink into … Read more

Marking Black History Month beyond February

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Illustration of a calendar showing February. It reads "Black History Month" at the top. Each day has an illustration of a different person or event on it.

Black History Month is over, but we’re taking the time to look back on some of the important figures and dates throughout the month. While we mark Black history for one month, it’s important to acknowledge the massive contributions of these Black individuals and countless more every day of the year. This illustration by CHASI … Read more

International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust

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Black and white illustration of many Romani people of all ages. A black and red monster with many teeth and eyes is in the foreground seemingly ready to devour them all.

Today is the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. CHASI artist Sharon Strauss took the time to create these two powerful pieces in commemoration. Porajmos: “The Devouring” A Romani word coined by Ian Hancock in 1990, “The Devouring” encapsulates the deliberate and often forgotten genocide of the Romani people … Read more