Pride celebrated at Royal Roads

Royal Roads University’s new Progress Pride crosswalks and Pride celebrations were featured in news media across Greater Victoria, including CHEK News, The Discourse and CTV News.

Here’s an excerpt from CHEK News:

Royal Roads University is installing three rainbow crosswalks to celebrate pride and support students at nearby Royal Bay Secondary School.

“That’s just a really powerful symbol of our commitment to inclusion,” said University President, Philip Steenkamp.

“It’s so heartwarming to see this happen,” said Royal Bay grade 12 student Oskar Wood.

Back in May, Wood and his fellow students were devastated to find their newly installed rainbow crosswalk had been defaced with hateful, homophobic slurs.

“To see it vandalized was heartbreaking because it felt like a personal attack towards me,” said Wood who had spearheaded the crosswalk initiative.

The community, however, has been rallying around the students ever since.

“By being a part of something like this I’m pushing back on that kind of hate and trying to put out love instead,” said Royal Roads student Megan Maher.

Watching the high school students in action has become a source of inspiration, and hope, for Steenkamp himself.

“It took me until I was 38 to summon up the courage to come out, so seeing these high school kids here is so tremendously inspiring to me and so exciting,” he said. “We want to do everything we can to show them they are loved, they are cared for and supported.”

Watch the fun on CHEK News and read the full story at The Discourse.