Students

New ‘HERO Bursary’ supports queer and gender diverse students at Brandon University

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Posted to: Brandon University, Give, Scholarships

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A group of people stand with a large Pride flag on a multi-coloured crosswalk.
Members of BU Queer, allies, and friends celebrate the new HERO bursary at BU's Pride crosswalk. The rainbow crosswalk — Brandon's first and only Pride crosswalk — was refreshed and expanded this year to include all colours from the Progress Pride flag, which adds black and brown stripes to represent LGBTQ+ communities of colour, along with pink, blue and white from the transgender Pride flag.

As Brandon celebrates Pride Week, a new bursary to support 2SLGBTQIA+ and gender diverse students at Brandon University has been announced.

Established by campus volunteer organization BU Queer, the HERO Bursary will provide financial support to BU students who self-identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ and/or gender diverse.

The BU Queer group works in support of Brandon University to raise awareness of equity, diversity, and inclusion in all of its contexts through ongoing education and initiatives. The name of this new bursary was crafted by BU Queer to be an inclusive acronym that stands for Helping Educate Regarding Orientation.

Officially signing the new HERO Bursary, which support queer and gender diverse students at Brandon University.

“Our focus has been on student success from the very start of creating this bursary. We’ve been thoughtfully inclusive with our language, considered questions about our awarding processes, and always had the needs of our student as our guiding light,” said BU Advancement Officer Nick Brown, chair of BU Queer. “As we celebrate Pride in Brandon, we are also asking our community to consider making a contribution if you are able and help us reach our $10,000 goal.”

Already, BU Queer has raised more than $1,000 in support of the award. This is the second bursary at Brandon University that specifically supports queer students, following the Gender & Women’s Studies Bursary, which was established by that program in 2021.

“We know that queer people continue to experience higher rates of discrimination, violence, health inequalities, poorer educational outcomes, underemployment, and numerous other systemic challenges, even here in Canada,” said Cheryl Fleming, BU’s Diversity and Human Rights Advisor. “This award and others like it create opportunities for all of us to engage our community and help be better allies.”

Pride merch available at Bailey’s Café in the KDC will also help support the new bursary. Hats are $45 and T-shirts are $30, with $5 from each sale going directly to the bursary.

Anyone can contribute to the HERO Bursary through the Brandon University Foundation, either online at BrandonU.ca/Give or by contacting the Office of Advancement & Alumni Affairs at Advancement@BrandonU.ca or 1-877-BU-2-GIVE.

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Success is built at Brandon University. Our growing, progressive campus welcomes a diverse and inclusive community that combines proud tradition with shared ambition. Through our excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship, we educate students to make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders. Join us at BrandonU.ca.

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