{"id":77171,"date":"2021-06-14T13:12:55","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T17:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&p=77171"},"modified":"2025-10-10T10:13:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T14:13:33","slug":"pride-month-creating-safe-community","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/pride-month-creating-safe-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Pride Month: Creating a Safe Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Celebrating Pride Month: Creating a Safe Community\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

As a queer parent who manages mental health issues, Mike Reynolds is on a personal journey of growth and learning. They believe strongly in sharing that life experience, so others can learn as Reynolds does, through Everyday Girl Dad.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s really just become a community where I and others discuss everything from masculinity and mental health to gender identity and sexual orientation,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI like to have these conversations publicly, because it\u2019s helpful to my own learning and unlearning journey, and I have found there\u2019s a good opportunity to bring others along with me on that same journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mike
Mike Reynolds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reynolds is constantly thinking of how to help future generations gain full control of their identities in their professional and personal lives. In their role as MacOdrum Library\u2019s Communications Officer, Reynolds informs the university community of its services and aims make the library feel like a safe and welcome space to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For them, Pride Month is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can learn about the historical context of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, as well as about myself,\u201d they say. \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely about recognizing the ongoing struggles people have faced and continue to face today. But it\u2019s also an opportunity to celebrate queer joy in all its forms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty years ago, when they were pursuing an English degree at Carleton, Reynolds was incredibly introverted and quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI stayed in my room all the time and didn\u2019t do very much.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Today, as a content creator and communications officer, they are active, open and public in their explorations of masculinity and queerness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reynolds also holds a diploma in Public Relations from Algonquin College and is currently studying in the Women\u2019s and Gender Studies<\/a> program. They think that even though universities play an important role in producing papers on topics for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, it\u2019s important to remember that research and academic thought isn\u2019t what makes them queer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all valid already even if there was never another paper written again,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI think it\u2019s important that we continue to value and celebrate the unique lived experiences of everyone in our university community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Creating a safe community for young 2SLGBTQ+ members is a responsibility Reynolds takes very seriously. They think Carleton can make 2SLGBTQ+ members of the university feel more included and celebrated by continuing to publicly recognize all of their unique experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe should be able to share the stories of people who are doing work in their communities that isn\u2019t just research-based, but who are creating community through love and support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\nDuring Pride Month, Carleton University is celebrating some of the many achievements and contributions of our 2SLGBTQ+ community members. Visit our <\/em>Pride Month page <\/a>through the month of June to read new stories about them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\"Pride<\/figure>\n\n\n

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\nMore Stories<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a queer parent who manages mental health issues, Mike Reynolds is on a personal journey of growth and learning. They believe strongly in sharing that life experience, so others can learn as Reynolds does, through Everyday Girl Dad. \u201cIt\u2019s really just become a community where I and others discuss everything from masculinity and mental […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":77181,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[1931],"cu_story_tag":[1930],"class_list":["post-77171","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-social-innovation","cu_story_tag-equity-diversity-and-inclusion"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/77171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/77171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97456,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/77171\/revisions\/97456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=77171"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=77171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}