TRU became a more welcoming place Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 with the installation of a rainbow-striped crosswalk at one of the busiest intersections on campus. The Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union (TRUSU) joined an international movement to declare lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) pride by painting the first permanent rainbow crosswalk in the BC interior.
“TRUSU is excited to have a permanent symbol of LGBTQ pride on campus. It’s a public demonstration that our institution is a positive space for the LGBTQ community and is prepared is to be a community leader in the development of positive spaces in Kamloops” said Nic Zdunich, LGBTQ Representative for Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union.
STUDENT INITIATIVE, TRU SUPPORTIVE
“TRU has been great to work with on this project. They have been incredibly accommodating and supportive of the Union and its initiatives, and have been real leaders in ensuring campus is a pride positive space,” Zdunich said.
TRUSU supplied the paint and Facilities applied the colours over the weekend to the crosswalk spanning the central intersection that joins the BC Centre for Open Learning to Old Main, the House of Learning, Science and the Library.
POSITIVE SPACES CAMPAIGN
The rainbow crosswalk demonstrates the inclusiveness of TRU, and signals the start of TRUSU’s Positive Spaces campaign, which hopes to establish a network with local businesses in Kamloops.
“There are myriad ways that we can make our campus a welcoming place for students. A coat of paint is simple in some respects, but I believe the impact will be profound for TRU students, faculty and staff that identify as LGBTQ,” said Chris Adam, TRU Dean of Students.
“I look forward to the university continuing its work with TRUSU on initiatives like this. Students like Nic are a testament to the creativity of our student body,” Adam said.
The world-wide rainbow crosswalk movement started with temporary protests, but has led to permanent installations in support of diversity and LGBTQ pride around the world. Canada’s first was installed on Vancouver’s Davie Street in July to kick off Pride Week, making TRU’s rainbow crosswalk only the second in the country.
“We are hoping the crosswalk softens the community to the favourable notion of positive spaces,” said Dylan Robinson, TRUSU President. “TRU is a positive space across the whole campus and we’d like to spread that feeling to the entire community through an awareness campaign we are planning for January.”
TRUSU (Local 15 of the Canadian Federation of Students) represents over 10,000 students on TRU’s Kamloops campus. Its Pride Collective organized Kamloops’ first Pride Parade in the spring of 2012, now an annual event.
