The Kwantlen Student Association, in partnership with Pride Kwantlen, hosted a candlelight vigil on the Surrey Campus today for those impacted by the recent violence targeting the queer community. The event was attended by over eighty students, faculty and community members, and KSA and Pride representatives spoke to the crowd on the importance of healing and standing against violence.
“We felt it was important for the KSA to support our members and our community in this difficult time,” stated Natasha Lopes, the Vice President Student Life, “Our community is hurting over this, and we wanted to provide a place to come together and heal.” The KSA reached out to Pride Kwantlen earlier in the week to see what could be done to support them in their outreach to the queer community.
Pride Kwantlen representative Ryot Jey has been working within his community to help them heal and understand what has happened, “One person doesn’t represent a group, to heal, we need to understand our differences.” Jey continued that “Community shouldn’t single out one group because of the actions of an individual, this was not a religious attack, it was an attack based in hate of a person’s identity.”
At the event, students lit candles and laid flowers in memory of those who were slain in the targeted attack. The KSA and Pride Kwantlen ensured that resources for those needing to talk were available, creating a safe space for students and members of the community to speak out during this difficult time.
