Love, Acceptance and the Day of Pink

What an incredible day of joy and learning at UTS! This International Day of Pink on Wednesday, April 9, we joined together with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the continued fight for equality and acceptance. Around the school, office and classroom doors were resplendent in pink with messages of love and hope, and our students and staff wore pink in celebration of this very special day at UTS.  High notes rose through the Fleck Atrium as student bands played over the noon hour, and a sense of genuine joy took hold among our school community that will stand out as one of the highlights of this school year, in keeping with UTS Day of Pink tradition.  

This year, the Day of Pink Committee, which consists of students and staff, diligently planned for months behind the scenes to bring our celebrations to life. A group of 20 UTS staff offered a broad array of workshops for our older students, while our F1 and F2s participated in Day of Pink button-making. From theatre to intellectual freedom, inclusive ecology and sports to current and historical issues facing 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, M3 and S6 students learned about a topic of their choice. Many more staff and students worked together behind the scenes to make the day a success in a true school-wide effort.  

The keynote speaker for the schoolwide assembly, Dennis Mawala, a human rights activist from Rainbow Railroad, spoke about the organization’s work to help 2SLGBTQIA+ people around the world, who face violence and oppression for simply being who they are. His message was one of hope for the future. 

The Day of Pink is about more than just a colour. It's a message that we stand in opposition to judgment and to hate, and that we offer care and compassion for all in our community, and elevate our support and celebration of those in our 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Together we enjoyed a wonderful day of learning and understanding that brought us closer together, for the betterment of our school and ourselves.