Photo UBC Pride
UBC is hosting drag queens, rappers, DJs, a sparkle station, slam poetry performances and live mural painting on campus for its largest-ever Pride celebration on August 1.
This year's UBC Pride evolved out of the university's first-ever Pride Picnic in 2017 and artistic director Angelica Poversky says this year will be less chill and more of an exciting party.
Poversky says its a chance to highlight local drag artists including:
"We really wanted to make sure that students had a say in how this event was shaped, to get student artists to perform and just make it a lot more of a safe space that is really peer-to-peer," she says.
Rachael Sullivan, equity facilitator in UBC's Equity & Inclusion Office, says they shifted the event time this year to later in the day "to allow more students, staff and faculty to come to campus and celebrate."
Attendees can cover themselves in environmentally-friendly glitter, play games, drink beer, check out the offerings from food trucks on site, browse the pop-up queer library, participate in a public disco and access positive space resources.
"When people don't feel included or welcomed to the university campus that sense of belonging can really impact their well-being and success," says Sullivan. "What we are trying to do is ensure that people have opportunities to get involved, feel included and welcomed to the campus."
UBC Pride is family-friendly and runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on August 1 at the University Commons area outside the AMS Student Nest.
