WATCH: RRU President Steenkamp on Leading with Pride
What does it mean to be a gay university president at a time when inclusion initiatives and 2SLGBTQI+ rights are increasingly under threat in higher education? What’s at risk when leaders stop showing up visibly and vocally in support of inclusion?
In celebration of Pride Week 2025, Alejandro Campos-Garcia, head of the Office of Human Rights and Accessibility, speaks with Royal Roads' Dr. Philip Steenkamp about identity, his leadership role as a university president and what gives him hope.
What has it meant to lead as an openly gay president?
I think it's extremely important, especially as a leader, to be authentic. You can't — and we've seen examples of this recently — you can't always be auditioning for approval in whatever room you happen to be in. You have to believe in something. You have to stand up for something.
And sure, it’s easier to do that when things are moving in the right direction. But it’s especially important when we’re facing setbacks and challenges, as we are now.
Role modelling really matters. People around the world are facing incredible levels of persecution, harassment, and discrimination on these issues. That adds a sense of responsibility for me — and I know for many others — even though it also brings a host of challenges.
Have you ever felt pressure to downplay your identity?
As a university leader, I would say no, because in general, Canada has a fairly accepting environment in the post-secondary system.
When I started as president in 2019, I worked with colleagues across the country through Universities Canada, which represents 98 universities nationally. I helped establish an affinity group for LGBTQ2S+ university presidents. There are now 10 of us out of 98, which is pretty good.
Before our twice-yearly meetings, we gather informally — for a meal or a drink — to talk and compare notes. It’s not overly formal, but it's a valuable space for connection.
That said, some presidents from smaller towns in certain provinces have faced significant challenges, including harassment and threats. It's still happening.
As an openly gay university president, I also think about international travel and partnerships. You have to be mindful of that. You don’t necessarily have to hide, but you do have to be more discreet than you would be here. In that sense, if I were in another province or in some parts of the U.S., I think this would be a much bigger factor.
Pride is a celebration but it’s also about resistance and remembrance. What’s at stake when leaders stop showing up visibly and vocally in support of inclusion?
Major corporations have been withdrawing their support for Pride. It's happened in Vancouver. It's happened in Toronto. It's happened in Montreal. But it's happened all across the U.S. especially. Huge, huge withdrawals.
While things are going in that direction and you can make money out of that market, we've seen big corporations step up. But clearly, they've turned out to be very fair-weather friends, because very few are prepared now to stand up, given that the direction of the wind has changed.
But I think there's something quite powerful there about the community looking at Pride now and returning Pride to its more activist roots as well. So maybe the end of this era of rainbow capitalism isn't a bad thing, because it will force people really to think about what Pride was, what started with Pride, what it's about, and why it's important.
What role do you think neutrality plays in the post-secondary sector?
I think we need to make a distinction between political neutrality and institutional neutrality. There are some fundamental human values that we should be prepared to stand up for at any time and see represented and celebrated on our campuses. Pride would be one of those, and Black History Month would be another.
We fly the Indigenous flag right now through the month of June. We make land acknowledgements. All these things are being challenged and called political. I think we need to take a stand on that. I've been doing that with my colleagues.
I do think universities, as part of the challenge we've seen, have not always been welcoming places for all voices over the last few years. Conservative voices, in particular, have felt excluded from many university environments. We've got a real responsibility to support intellectual diversity and viewpoint diversity, and to encourage voices from across the political spectrum.
What kind of courage is needed now, not just to come out, but to openly lead as you are doing now?
I think the courage that’s needed now is the kind that understands there may be consequences. Consequences for what you do, how you show up and how you present. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently — do you try to modulate? Do you change what you do? Are you a little more low-profile?
Yesterday, I went with a student up to the top of Hatley Castle to fly the Pride flag. It’s this massive flag. I remember the first year we raised it in 2019. It was the first time a Pride flag had ever been raised here, and it was a tiny little flag. Now we’ve got a very big Pride flag.
I guess what I’m saying, using that as a metaphor: It’s time to fly the flag — and fly the biggest flag you have.