Kenny Dawkins, 24, recently completed a general arts and science program at Humber College and will start the Practical Nursing Program there this fall.
Alongside those studies, Dawkins has spent the past two years working at Humber’s North Campus LGBTQ+ Resource Centre, which aims to create “safer, braver, positive spaces” on campus.
“I wanted to get more involved in general and I wanted to be an ally to a lot of different communities,” says Dawkins, a Resource and Events Assistant at the centre. “I thought the best first step was to start at school. A lot of students tend to say this is their home away from home.”
Dawkins, who uses the pronoun they, identifies as Black trans non-binary, polyqueer, aromantic. At the centre, “I am free to express the multiple intersections of my identity,” notes Dawkins when speaking about their experience.
Pride is every day
Off-campus, Dawkins has become better connected to the LGBTQ+ community and outside organizations, such as the Peel HIV/AIDS Network. As an ally, the centre has helped them navigate difficult but important conversations, making sure voices are heard and knowing when to step in — and when to step back.
The centre is working on upcoming Pride events, though Dawkins says it’s important to remember LGBTQ+ issues are important 365 days a year, not just during one week of celebration in June. Dawkins says more work needs to be done to advocate for intersecting identities, such as LGBTQ+ people of colour or those with disabilities as well as the two-spirited community, and to increase awareness of barriers LGBTQ+ folk have to accessing spaces and resources that are intersectional and inclusive of their diverse identities.
“We’re living our lives the rest of the year,” Dawkins says. “There needs to be conversations outside of Humber, in the broader sense, going beyond tolerance to acceptance — just letting people be who they want to be.”
Zoe Davey
