Ģֱ and Student Union JYY to participate in Pride week 2–8 September 2024
As in past years, the Ģֱ and the Student Union JYY are participating in the event.
The Rector of the Ģֱ Jari Ojala considers JYU participating in the Pride week to be important: “As a university, we want to guarantee our students and staff an equal and prosperous community, where everyone can be themselves. We’ve still got some work to do, and we need to be prepared to take a critical look at our policies.”
Chair of the Student Union Board Akseli Immonen emphasizes the importance of a safe university community: “It is essential that every student feels safe and welcome in the university community as they are. As the representatives of Student Union JYY, we joyfully participate in Pride week and commit to promoting equality every day of the year.”
The theme of the Jyväskylä Pride week this year is a safe space and dignified speech.
“The existence of a safe space should also be focused on different platforms. It is worrying to hear about situations where our experts have been the target of offensive and threatening communication because of messages based on research knowledge,” says vice rector responsible of education Marja-Leena Laakso. “Criticism that guarantees renewal and the right to as well as permission for different perspectives and counterarguments are all an integral part of science, but in a civilized country we should be able to ensure everyone’s inviolable human dignity as well as dignified speech and a civil discussion culture.”
Pride week on campus:
The event will be visible, as is traditional, by flying the Pride flags in front of the Main Building, the Jyväskylä University Library Lähde and the Liikunta building. Pride pins will be handed out from Monday, 2 September. You can collect your pin near the janitors’ service points at Lähde, Ruusupuisto, Agora, and Ylistö as well as at the office of the Student Union JYY in Ilokivi. Remember to act quickly as there are only a limited of number of pins available! This year, JYU and Student Union JYY also asked the community what type of pins they would like to see on campus. On Thursday 5 September, there will be a workshop to make these pins at Ilokivi.
This year, the University will also host a very special celebration of love during Pride Week, as JYU offers the atmospheric Old Paja on campus for the wedding use of the university community. Each member of the university community looking for a place to hold a ceremony is welcome to come to Paja, free of charge.
During Pride week, there will be a plenty of activities offered by different groups and the week will culminate in the Pride parade on Saturday, 7 September, in which we will march for equality in the same group formed by the University and the Student Union. After the procession, JYU and the Student Union will have a stand together at the open-air party in Lounaispuisto.
