The Pride Centre is an independent, student-run service that strives to promote and represent a culture of affirmation through the celebration of individual diversity and choice in all areas of life. We address various equity sectors (anti-ableism, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, etc.) with a core focus on the intersections of gender and sexuality topics at the University of Ottawa. By hosting events, programming, offering resources and advocating for students, we look to create an environment of respect and acceptance with our communities and allies.

Weekly Events – at our Student Lounge (UCU 215C)

• Game Night

• Movie Night

If you would like to schedule an appointment to meet one of our staff at the Pride Centre, please email pride@seuo-uosu.com.

Programs and Services

Drop-In Lounge

Our Drop-in Lounge at UCU 215C is open to all to relax, find resources, and build community. Our Centre is open to everyone, regardless of identity.

The Quiet Room (UCU-215B)

Need somewhere to study or decompress? We offer a low stimulation, low noise, quiet room attached to the drop-in centre that can be used at any time during our regular hours of operation. This space can also be used as a gender-neutral changing space for our “The Closet” program, a study area, a private breastfeeding/lactation room, and for specialized medical needs. For private use, please email staff at pride@seuo-uosu.com or let staff know on location.

Gender-Affirming Product Program

We recognize the physical, mental and emotional impact and importance gender affirming products can have, especially for those recently exploring their gender identities.

In order to provide ease of access, The Pride Centre has launched their Gender Affirming Product Program to provide a one-time assistance to a gender-affirming product of choice for University of Ottawa students in need.

Applicants must:

• be registered as a student at the University of Ottawa;

• be registered in a program at the University of Ottawa;

• be unable to purchase the item on their own.

All applicants who meet the above criteria will be eligible for the Gender Affirming Product Program. In the case of high traffic applications, priority will be given to students who are first year, racialized and/or POC, trans and/or non-binary, Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) and/or have international student status.

All information submitted for the Gender Affirming Product Program will remain confidential within The Pride Centre employees and staff. This program is supported and made possible by the University of Ottawa Students’ Union.

To submit an application, please visit the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/vaxycCsmTy

Queer Library

We offer a wide variety of over 600 2SLGBTQ+ books and videos for all uOttawa students and staff.

How to request a book:

Visit https://uopridecentre.librarika.com/ to view our full catalog, and request by emailing pride@seuo-uosu.com, or dropping by UCU 215C. For online orders, wait for e-mail confirmation that your request is ready for pick-up at UCU-215C.  

Have books you’d like to donate? Drop them off during our regular hours of operation or through our book slot at the entrance of our drop-in centre during non-regular business hours. We accept all books on 2SLGBTQ+ interests and topics.

Are you a professor looking to stock a book for your course or a student looking for a particular series? Send us an email at pride-coord@seuo-uosu.com!

“The Closet”

We offer a variety of free, sustainable, second-hand, gender-diverse clothing for all members of the uOttawa community. Check our regularly rotating rack outside of the drop-in centre or come inside and look at all our options.

See something you like and want to try it on? We offer a private gender-neutral space to try on clothing at your leisure. Service is supported by The University of Ottawa Free Store along with student donations.

Have clothing you’d like to donate? Drop it off at any time during our regular hours of operation!

Need a safe space to store your clothing? We are able to store any items of your choice in a private and secure space to be returned at your leisure. Clothing items stored within our centre will be individually tagged and staff are able to provide cleaning services for these items. For more information, please speak with our staff at our drop-in centre or email us pride@seuo-uosu.com.

Safer Sex and Sanitary Supplies

We offer a variety of free safer sex supplies such as latex and non-latex condoms of various sizes, internal condoms, lube, dental dams, and more. Pick them up inside the drop-in centre or outside our door in our Safer Sex Supplies Box. We also offer a variety of sanitary supplies such as pads, tampons, Diva Cups, and more. Looking for a specific product? Let staff know and we will do our best to assist.

Peer Listening

We offer all students private and confidential peer listening sessions in many topics. Peer advice at the Pride Centre offers a Safe Space to talk with a peer privately about relationships, academics, transitioning, and more. Our staff are available for scheduled session of up to 1 hour. To schedule a meeting, email pride@seuo-uosu.com with your availability, and a brief overview of what you want to talk about.

Pride Centre staff may redirect you to other services or resources better suited to help you.

Safe Storage Lockers (UCU-215)

If you are a closeted student, or otherwise need to store something away from home, contact a staff member and we can assign you a lock and locker!

Preferred Name ID Program

If you wish to change your student card and/or U-Pass to reflect your preferred name, we can fully cover the cost! For this program, feel free to contact a staff member to schedule a time for us to go with you to uOttawa Card Services.

24/7 Discord Chat

Want to connect with the community? We have an active Discord Server open to everyone! Talk with fellow 2SLGBTQ+ students at uOttawa and keep up to date on events both with The Pride Centre and in the greater Ottawa community.

Join us here: https://discord.com/invite/m8QudfE

Volunteer with Pride Centre

Interested in volunteering with us?

We offer Extracurricular Volunteering (EV) and Community Service Learning (CSL) placements every Winter, Summer and Fall semester through the office of Community Engagement at uOttawa.

Volunteers with the Pride Centre assist our community in a variety of sectors, including but not limited to event managing, equity policy structuring, social justice campaign activism and more.

Available placements are posted on the Community Engagement Navigator, accessible in the Applications section, via uOzone.

View the Student Reference Sheet to find out how to:

1. Register to a placement

2. Fill out your timesheet

3. Get your Co-Curricular Record

4. FAQ – Questions & Answers

Helpful video tutorials:

5. Watch the video on how to apply for an Extracurricular Volunteering.

6. Watch the video on how to enter your volunteer hours.

For Professors

The Pride Centre’s mission is to not only support the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ community members, but all equity groups in and outside of the University of Ottawa. We are passionate about integrating classroom education into real life applications and helping all students recognize their value in all communities.

Professors in all faculties are encouraged to reach out to us for more information on ways to incorporate classroom theory into CSL volunteering with the Pride Centre.

If you are interested in participating or registering your course with the program, please contact the Community Engagement Office at uOttawa at servingothers@uOttawa.ca.

FAQ

Why do you use the acronym “2SLGBTQIA+” and what does it stand for?

“2SLGBTQIA+” stands for Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, intersex, asexual/aromatic and “+” as a signifier for all other identities. We make the distinction in describing the work that we do as “queer work” as it intersects with many social justice movements, while we describe our core audience as “2SLGBTQIA+”.

Are your services/events available to all students?

Yes! While we are a service that focuses on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, we recognize the nuances of identity and do not question or turn anyone away. You are free to disclose as much or as little information with our team when seeking resources. We always welcome allies who are interested in learning and unlearning with us. All events are advertised as being either “closed” or “open”. Certain events may be closed to certain community members, such as support groups for folks of a specific identity. This is to provide a safe(r) space for community members seeking to connect with those of similar identities. We will never ask for “proof” of anyone’s identity in joining our events.

I’m 2SLGBTQIA+ identifying and want to connect with community members like me, but I don’t know where to start.

You’ve already started by seeking us out! Our community is very vast and knowing where to begin can be overwhelming, especially if you haven’t been involved in the past. Whatever you are looking for, we’ll help you find it.

If you are seeking to meet others like yourself, visit us during our regular hours of operation at UCU-215C! Many of our community members utilize our lounge space to socialize, so it’s a great place to start to get to know folks! If you’re interested in online spaces or wish to remain anonymous, you can also join our 24/7 Discord server!

If you’re interested in more hands-on community work, we offer volunteering every semester through the Community Engagement Navigator in your uOZone. Check throughout the semester for volunteering opportunities or reach out to one of our team members for more information.

I’m an ally seeking to learn more about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Where do I start?

Our space and services are open to all 2SLGBTQIA+ students and their allies. If you are an ally seeking to learn more about our community, please visit our resources tab above. Our team is available to answer any questions you may have regarding our community, so please don’t hesitate to ask! We believe that the process of learning and unlearning includes an open dialogue, so don’t be afraid to ask us any questions you may have.

Are your services bilingual?

All UOSU services are available in both official languages (English/French), The Pride Centre included. We offer all our services, events and resources in both official languages either in our spoken languages, translators, subtitles, etc. Our centre strives for multi-lingualism and as such, certain services, events and resources may be available in other languages as well.

As many of our resources rely on outside community initiatives, certain ones may only be available in one language. We strive to have a balance of our resources in both official languages to the best of our capacity. If you are seeking a certain resource in a specific language, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for assistance.

I am a student with accessibility needs. What accessibility needs does The Pride Centre meet?

Our physical space in UCU 215-C is wheelchair accessible, as well as scent-free. We provide a variety of snacks/drinks at the centre that are free of major allergens (peanuts, coconut, tree nuts, etc.), as well as dietary variant (gluten-free, gelatin-free, etc.). We have a small fridge at the centre that students may use to store refrigerated medications per student request as well*.

In our online spaces, alt-text in both official languages (English/French) is available on all our promotional images. Our online events offer closed captioning in six languages (languages may vary depending on the event), as well as transcription post-event.

We may offer certain accessibility needs, such as ASL interpretation for both online and physical events per student request. These may be requested through the registration form for the event or by contacting us directly. If there are any questions or concerns regarding The Pride Centre and accessibility, please contact us at pride@seuo-uosu.com.

• Note: If you are a student seeking spaces to store medication, check our hours of operation and contact our team.

I’ve experienced gender/sexual identity discrimination at the University of Ottawa. What can I do?

Per The Ontario Human Rights Code, the University of Ottawa has legal obligation to prohibit discrimination on protected grounds (including, but not limited to age, race, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, sex, etc.) of all members of the uOttawa community, both on and off campus. Policy 67a – Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination at the University of Ottawa outlines steps to define and report instances of harassment/discrimination. Students who have experienced harassment/discrimination may contact the Office for the Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment of the Student Academic Success Service (SASS) at 100 Marie-Curie (4th floor). Students may also reach out to the following campus resources:

• The Human Rights’ office at the University of Ottawa

• Office of the Ombudsperson

• Community Legal Clinic

The Student Rights Centre of the UOSU also serves all students seeking guidance and support in uOttawa regulations and practices, as well as those seeking information on human rights on campus.

See also:

• Policy 66 Violence Prevention

• Policy 67 Sexual Harassment

• Procedure 36-1 Complaints of Harassment/Discrimination initiated by students

• Procedure 36-2 Complaints of Harassment/Discrimination initiated by employees

I want to address an issue of harassment/discrimination but wish to remain anonymous. Is this possible?

Our team understands the desire for anonymity when reporting certain issues within the University.

If you have an incident you would like to address within the University of Ottawa or with an individual, but wish to remain anonymous, let us know. Our team can assist in navigating/documenting any case of harassment/discrimination and represent any student who wishes to remain anonymous.

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