Feb. 20, 2020

The Philadelphia Pride Flag, a.k.a. the Philly Pride Flag, will be displayed permanently in the Senecentre at Newnham Campus.

In a joint initiative from the Seneca Student Federation (SSF) and Student Life, the flag is being unveiled today in support of the LGBTQ2S+ community and as an indication that diversity is not only welcome, but celebrated on campus.

Distinctive with black and brown stripes above the standard six rainbow colours, the Philly Pride Flag first debuted in Philadelphia as a symbol for the inclusion of people of colour in the LGBTQ2S+ community.

“Senecentre is the heart of student life at Newnham Campus,” said Charanpreet Singh Deu, SSF President. “There is no better place than here to make it this flag’s permanent home.”

The flag will have by its side the SSF flag and the flags of Ontario and Canada.

The unveiling celebration brings on campus celebrity drag queen Brooke Lynn Hytes and the Spice Queens, the four drag impersonators of the pop group Spice Girls, for a performance on stage. Earlier this week, students learning about creative makeup in the School of Fashion were treated to a session with two Spice Queens members, who explained each step of their makeup routine, from techniques to personal lives, as they transformed into drag queens.

“I really enjoyed it,” said Brenda Perez, a second-year student. “Drag makeup is something new that I’d like to explore. It’s very interesting and creative. I’ve never seen someone do this before.”

Fellow student Roxana Guzman agrees. She said the class was both fun and interesting as she learned different aspects of makeup and a totally different style.

“All those brilliant colours that she used — it was great,” she said.

The Philly Pride Flag is just one of the many initiatives the SSF is undertaking to make Seneca a better space for the LGBTQ2S+ community. The SSF recently opened up its club at Newnham Campus for LGBTQ2S+ members to host their weekly meetings, which were previously held in the counselling room. At this year’s Pride Toronto, the SSF plans to have a float to further strengthen the message of inclusion and diversity at Seneca.

“These are some of the things we are trying to do to let students know we are thinking of them,” said Nicole Lentini, SSF Vice-President. “We want them to know that they are in our thoughts and in our hearts.”