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On Saturday 4 June 2022, Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� (UU) and ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� of Applied Sciences Utrecht (HU) joined the Utrecht Canal Pride together for the first time – literally in the same boat.

The theme of this year’s Canal Pride was “Just Be You”. 61 employees and students from UU and HU sailed together on Boat 19 that symbolized unity, diversity and “being yourself”. Diversity Dean Janneke Plantenga summarized the message of the event: “Let us be proud that we are allowed to be who we want to be.”

UU Vice President Margot van der Starre was one of the speakers who opened the UU-HU celebration. She reminded the audience of the crucial importance of events such as the Canal Pride or symbols such as the rainbow bike path in Utrecht Science Park.

Elias Abou Chaaya is event coordinator of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) programme. “The Utrecht Canal Pride is important for me, because at Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��, I am not seen as gay or as a refugee, but just as a person,” he says. “I want also other people to experience being proud of themselves as who they are and happy in their own skin. It took me a lot of time to accept myself, and I want to help other people reach that goal as well.

The UU Rainbow Network and the HU Gender and Sexuality Alliance, with support of the EDI programme,  were in charge of the joint participation. A special banner was designed for this event to celebrate the partnership between the two universities. After the boat parade, students, employees and supporters from both organisations gathered in the S.S.R.-N.U. association to dance, eat and celebrate pride together.

“It was a dream come true and a way to show everyone how important it is to be yourself. I felt safe. I felt loved,” says HU student Isabella Flore. Myra-Lot Perrenet, Communications Officer of the EDI programme agrees to this. “It touched me how many people gathered to celebrate this day. The visibility of the LGBTIQ+ community is important for acceptance.”