June is Pride Month, a time to recognize and honour every individual’s right to equality, and to celebrate the richness that 2SLGBTQ+ individuals bring to our communities.  

The Pride flag will be raised at McMaster all month as a reminder that whether you are 2SLGBTQIA+, gender questioning or unsure, you belong here, and the university community celebrates you year-round. 

Here is a list of campus and community events, organizations and resources to celebrate and support the diverse individuals who enrich our community.  

Please check back as we will continue to update the listing below all month. 

Events

June 3 | National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month launch event 

Students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to a launch event on June 3 to celebrate the start of Pride and Indigenous History Month.  

Amazing Race Canada winners and well-known equity and inclusion advocates Anthony Johnson and James Makokis will deliver the keynote speech at the Power in Community event.  

• Date: Tuesday, June 3 

• Time: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

• Location: L.R. Wilson Concert Hall, McMaster University 

• Format: Hybrid 

Click here to register for the June 3 launch event by May 30, 2025. For more information, please email Ayo Osinowo, employment equity consultant. 

June 10 | Virtual lunchtime speaker session

The Faculty of Health Sciences Equity and Inclusion Office is hosting a virtual lunchtime session with speaker O.G. Thorne. The event is free; registration is required. 

Language Matters: Findings from the Redefining Sexual and Reproductie Health Study (REDEFINE) will introduce a patient-centred framework to support inclusive, equitable care for two-spirit, trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse patients regarding gender inclusive language within sexual and reproductive health. 

Date: Tuesday, June 10 

Time: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. 

To register: Please click here to register for this free virtual event 

Click here for more information 

June 24 | Free virtual event 

Join the Equity and Inclusion Office for All In: Exploring Inclusive Solidarity in 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities, a free virtual event that is open to all.  

Together, attendees will explore the complexity and resilience of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Within these communities, people hold racialized, transgender, disabled, or other intersecting identities that can shape and intensify their lived experiences of oppression.   

This Mac event is aligned with Pride Toronto’s 2025 theme, “All In,” which serves a reminder that we are all united by a shared dream of liberation. The event is a call to collective action and a reminder that true solidarity is intersectional; and that disability justice, anti-racism, and feminism are essential pillars of meaningful advocacy for queer and trans rights.  

Join the event and engage with community leaders and scholars to learn what true solidarity means and what it looks like.   

Date: Tuesday, June 24   

Time: 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.  

To register: Please click here to sign up for this free virtual event  

June 25 | PrideAtMac ERG Launch Event for McMaster Faculty and Staff 

Human Resources Services, in partnership with the Equity and Inclusion Office, is excited to support the launch of a new Employee Resource Group (ERG) for 2SLGBTQIA+ faculty and staff.   

PrideAtMac ERG membership is open to any McMaster employee who is a member of the queer community, or who is an ally or critical advocate to the community in their participation in this ERG. 

This includes but is not limited to those who are: lesbian, gay, bisexual / pansexual, trans, queer, asexual, two-spirit, intersex, questioning, and allies of the 2S & LGBTQIA+ communities.  

PrideAtMac ERG members are not required to disclose how they identify.  

Employee Resource Groups are employee-led groups based on shared identities/interests, providing meaningful engagement and support for diverse community members. 

Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 

Time: 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

Location: Specific details will be shared with registered participants in advance of the event.  

Registration: Registration is requested for planning purposes only. Please register here by June 13, 2025.  

For more information or if you have questions, please email Ayo Osinowo, employment equity consultant.    

Organizations and resources

Click here for the Student Wellness Centre’s resource page for people who are a part of or looking to support someone who is a part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

MSU Pride Community Centre, or PCC is a student-led, peer support service provided by the McMaster Students Union (MSU) specifically for students who identify as part of the 2STLGBQIA+ community. In addition to providing confidential peer support, the PCC provides educational programming and advocates to challenge attitudes and norms that oppress the 2STLGBQIA+ population, helping establish a safe(r) space for Queer folx on campus and in the GTHA. Click here to follow them on Instagram. 

LGBT Youth Line provides service for youth, by youth that affirms the experiences and aspirations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, 2-spirited, queer and questioning youth in Ontario. Get in touch with a peer support volunteer Sunday to Friday 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. via phone, chat or text services. Phone: 1-800-268-9688 | Text: 647-694-4275 

Good2Talk is a free, confidential and anonymous helpline providing professional counselling and information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being to post-secondary students in Ontario, 24/7/365. Good2Talk serves students at Ontario’s publicly-funded colleges and universities, with a primary focus on those aged 17-25. Phone: 1-866-925-5454 

Speqtrum Hamilton is a youth-founded, youth-run, and youth-focused skill-sharing and community building program for queer and trans young people in Hamilton. 

Trans Lifeline hotline is a peer support service run by trans people, for trans and questioning callers. Phone: 1-877-330-6366 

For information about supports and resources, contact equity@mcmaster.ca. 

More information on Pride

Click here for a synopsis of Pride history or click here for a chronicle of Canadian Pride history. 

What do the letters in LGBTQ2S+ stand for? Click here to find out.