October is going to be a big month for Queer McGill. The student-led group will be playing a prominent role in Queer History Month celebrations at the University, presenting 10 events, organized by queer students for queer students.
Spearheaded by the McGill Equity team, Queer History Month aims to celebrate and highlight the history and achievements of 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities.
“Queer History Month is very significant to us,” said Anushka Manoj, fourth-year Arts students and Events Co-ordinator at Queer McGill. “It’s a way for the queer community to come together, and I’m excited about that.”
Celebrating queer joy
Queer History Month was first celebrated at McGill in 2018, making it the first event of its kind at a Canadian university. The McGill Equity Team invites all McGill units to participate by hosting their own events.
Once again, Queer McGill stepped up in a big way, organizing film screenings, academic workshops and social events taking place on and off campus.
A full list of events is available on Queer McGill’s Instagram page.
“I want October to be big; I want to make ourselves known to students,” said Val Munoz, a Master of Arts student and Administrator at Queer McGill. “We talk a lot about queer joy, and we’re so excited to see the joy on everybody’s faces.”
Event highlights
Munoz is looking forward to hosting a trip to the Montreal Botanical Garden and a Queer History Walking Tour of Montreal. “I’ve already taken the tour, and it was super cool – full of fun facts and historical context,” they said.
Manoj is eager to host the Trans Market Panel, which will feature transgender market vendors, as well as a Halloween party. “It was a big hit last year.”
As people of colour with international backgrounds – Manoj is from India and Munoz, of Guatemalan parentage, grew up in the United States – both staff members, along with Queer McGill Event Co-ordinator Juno Adams, aim to host events that welcome people from all backgrounds.
“We wouldn’t be able to do this back home, and a lot of other students could say the same thing,” said Munoz. “That’s why it’s so important to provide programming and a safe space for our community throughout the year.”
Queer McGill is also co-hosting an expressive art workshop for 2SLGBTQIA+ students facilitated by Kai Cheng Thom, the 2025 Queer History Month keynote speaker. The event is a partnership between Queer McGill and the McGill Equity Team.
“Institutional efforts to support the full inclusion and well-being of 2SLGBTQIA+ students are imperative but can never replace student-led programming, which, by its nature, is best-placed to understand and speak directly to student needs,” said Tynan Jarrett, Director, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. “The enduring impact throughout the long history of 2SLGBTQ+ student organizing at McGill on the University and the broader Montreal community illustrates this point.”
