Coquitlam post-secondary students will now see bright colours waving proudly as part of efforts to include, celebrate and seek justice for the LGBTQ community.
Members of the Douglas College Student Union Pride Collective (DSU) raised the Pride flag on Wednesday (July 27) with many community members on site as part of ongoing series of Pride month events on campus.
According to DC spokesperson Zach Siddiqui, the occasion is a chance for the school, its staff and its student body to show support and solidarity, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.
"We fly Pride flags every year in August, when many of B.C.'s Pride festivities take place, to show our support for LGBTQ2S+ people everywhere," he says in a statement to the Tri-City News.
"We're proud to be a part of creating a space for celebration, allyship and action, now and for years to come."
Pride representatives from the DSU gave speeches of acknowledgement and hope in the A/B Atrium prior to the flag-raising ceremony.
The Tri-Cities Pride Society was also on hand for the annual event.
Several political figures were in attendance, like Port Moody-Coquitlam MP Bonita Zarrillo, as well as Coquitlam city councillors Steve Kim and Teri Towner.
"It’s always a good time to celebrate the diversity of LGBTQIA2S+ communities, acknowledge their history, hardships endured and the progress that’s been made," said Towner in a social media post following the flag-raising.
"Let’s keep making progress!"
The flag itself has evolved over the past few years.
The six primary rainbow colours now include a triangle on the left side to honour the transgender community, as well as the IBPOC community (Indigenous, Black and people of colour).
A Pride flag was also hoisted at DC's New Westminster campus this afternoon (July 28).
Douglas College says it'll also be participating in the Vancouver (July 31) and New Westminster Pride Festivals (Aug. 13).
