'Acts of hatred' — UWindsor Pride Centre shuts after homophobic vandalism attacks

Published Apr 30, 2024 • 4 minute read

‘Incredibly disheartening.’ Ghallia Hashem, president of the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance, is shown at the Campus Pride Centre on Monday, April 29, 2024. The centre was shut down after incidents of homophobic slurs being engraved on the door. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

After a series of targeted “hate crimes” sparked safety concerns, the University of Windsor’s Campus Pride Centre has temporarily closed — during the most stressful time of year for many students needing its support.

The University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA), which runs the centre, said it will be shut down for the rest of the academic year after someone repeatedly carved homophobic slurs into the door.

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“Genuinely, it was probably the worst time for it to happen,” said UWSA president Ghallia Hashem. “Students are already stressed out because it’s exam period.

“And when I got the message from our Pride Centre coordinator, I was so shocked. You would never expect anyone to go out of their way to do that.”

The Pride Centre coordinator first noticed homophobic slurs carved into the door on April 10, according to the student alliance. The “vulgar language” was covered and the UWSA reported the incident to campus police.

The following day, volunteers found another slur etched into the door. Again, they covered it up and called campus police. Then, on April 12, it happened again.

“That made it very clear to us that even though the Pride Centre was scheduled to stay open for an additional week, it was probably in the students’ best interest to close the Pride Centre early,” said Hashem. “Because, unfortunately, at this time we don’t have enough security measures to ensure the students are fully safe in that area.”

The UWSA announced Friday on social media that the centre, which hosts 15 to 30 students a day throughout the year, was closed for the rest of the school year. The centre’s 2024 exam drop-in hours have also been cancelled.

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“We will not tolerate these acts of hatred and we will not let it stop us from the important work we do to support our queer and trans community members, our families, friends, and allies,” the student alliance wrote.

“The UWSA stands in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. These acts of prejudice have highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and reaffirmed our commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment on campus.”

The University of Windsor Campus Pride Centre sign is shown on Monday. The centre was shut down after incidents of homophobic slurs being engraved on the door. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

University of Windsor officials would not talk to the Windsor Star about the incidents. But the communications department sent an email stating the university was “saddened” to learn the vandalism led to the centre’s summer closure sooner than planned.

“The University of Windsor is aware of the hurtful and troubling homophobic incidents that occurred at the Student Pride Centre,” the statement read in part. “The University is committed to fostering a campus environment that is safe, inclusive and respectful of all individuals.

“The University and its community condemns all forms of hate and discrimination, and we are actively investigating these incidents with our Special Constable Service.”

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Hashem said the centre will reopen for the fall semester.

“It gives us enough time to ensure that we plan,” she said. “We are working with our special constable services at the University of Windsor, as well as university administration, and the UWSA office to ensure those security measures are in place before the Pride Centre is set to open again in the fall.”

Hashem called the situation “incredibly disheartening.”

“It really brought to light how much we need to refocus and understand the needs of students better,” she said. “It’s also important to note that one of the conversations we had multiple times was to ensure that a (person) that would go out of their way to inflict that damage is also taken care of.

“Beyond the fact that this is vandalism and should never happen, it really speaks to a greater issue at hand, because no one should feel comfortable doing that.”

Ghallia Hashem, president of the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance, is shown at the Campus Pride Centre on Monday, April 29, 2024. Following recent acts of vandalism, security measures will be put in place before the centre is reopened. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

Wendi Nicholson, president of Windsor-Essex Pride Fest, said the vandalism is another discouraging example of how much discrimination and hatred many people still face.

“It’s frustrating,” said Nicholson. “Just when we think we’re making movements forward, things are going well, and we’re making progress, something like this comes up. It’s been happening at least once a year, every year, for the past few years.

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“Something happens and — boom — we’re back those 10 steps that we just took forward. The university, the tearing down of Pride flags, the destruction of Pride crosswalks. Things like that. It’s just maddening.”

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Following the closure of the Pride centre, the UWSA posted a list to its Instagram account of other campus and community organizations where students can go for support. It also provided a link to a needs assessment survey seeking input from students, alumni, faculty, and staff about how to help members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

“We can have an idea of what to do, but it’s better to reach out to folks to ensure what they would like to see from us,” said Hashem. “Then we have the entire summer to implement and plan and make sure that everything is well for years to come.”

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