Rainbow crosswalk update

UVic is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students, staff and faculty. When the university makes decisions that impact a particular community, it is important that those affected have an opportunity to inform the decision making.

In the case of the rainbow crosswalk, a steering committee that comprises students and employees who identify as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, was established in Spring 2022. Their focus was to undertake a fulsome consultation process to consider what policies, programs and institutional structures UVic requires to welcome and support 2SLGBTQIA+ students, staff and faculty. UVic leadership agreed to wait to repaint the crosswalk once the steering committee concluded its consultations and at the same time work with broader 2SLGBTQIA+ community to co-design meaningful processes.

Beyond whether to repaint and when, the committee has been exploring deeper questions of inclusion, representation and safety across campus. It’s important to the committee and to UVic, as an institution, that we are doing the real work to support our community and foster a sense of belonging for all who study, work and visit here. This goes much deeper than paint.

This work is important and it takes time. Consultations continue through September, and PeerNetBC—a third-party facilitator—is expected to deliver its final report and recommendations in early October.

Additional information is available at uvic.ca/rainbow-crosswalk

Correction Sept. 14, 2023 at 9:55 am: An earlier version of this statement incorrectly indicated that the steering committee was established in February 2021. The committee was actually established in Spring 2022 to guide the work with PeerNetBC. The statement has since been updated.