Published: 30-07-2020 09:00 | Updated: 04-08-2021 12:55

Academic Pride Flying the Flag for Digital Festival

Karolinska Institutet on August 2, 2014, joining the Stockholm Pride Parade. Management, Christina Bostedt, Per Bengtsson and Anders Gustafsson, when the flag was hoisted at campus. Photo: Gunnar Ask

The Covid-19 pandemic does not stop the fight for LGBTQ rights. This year’s Stockholm Pride will instead be broadcast live digitally under the name Stockholm Pride Summer Stream. As usual, several of Stockholm’s higher education institutions are participating under the joint Academic Pride banner, which this year brings together both students and employees from seven higher education institutions.

During the pandemic, several countries have severely restricted the rights of LGBTQ people (external link), while the opportunities for peaceful manifestations and protests have been substantially limited. Important legislative changes are being pushed into the future and in quarantined countries many young people are being forced back into parental homes where they are not fully accepted. Over 500 Pride festivals around the world have been canceled or postponed, according to ©European Pride Organisers Association 2020 (external link).

“We stand united in our work for equality for LGBTQ people, work that is going on year round and that is extra important now in a hardening climate where we see a decline in LGBTQ rights in several countries and an increased threat to LGBTQ people and organizations,” say representatives of Academic Pride in a joint statement.

Although this year we cannot gather in the streets and plazas, it is more important than ever to find ways to support each other, make new acquaintances, share experiences and new knowledge, and not the least celebrate the successes that the past year has offered.

KI arranges research seminar on mental health

Photo of Richard Bränström.
Associate professor of public health at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience Foto: Rebecka Uhlin

During Stockholm Pride Summer Stream, Karolinska Institutet is organizing a digital seminar on the health of LGBTQ people. Richard Bränström, associate professor of public health at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, speaks under the heading "Why are LGBTQ people at increased risk of mental health problems?", Friday 31 July at 15:00-15:45. Read more about the seminar

Watch the seminar - available from 31/7 16:00

The work for equality does not stop with Pride

Portrait of Anders Gustafsson
Anders Gustafsson, Vice President at Karolinska Institutet. Photo: Erik Flyg

“For me as Vice President of Karolinska Institutet, knowledge of LGBTQ issues is central. High-quality education and research require equal rights and opportunities for all. This is something we work in the regular operations and something that increasingly permeates and characterizes our entire organization.

We have a great responsibility to ensure that our students graduate with knowledge to give LGBTQ people the right care and treatment in their future professional roles. It is also important that we as a prominent research institute integrate knowledge about equal rights in the content of research”, says Vice President Anders Gustafsson who is responsible for equal opportunities at KI.

Stockholm Pride Summer Stream

Stockholm Pride Summer Stream takes place between Friday, July 31st and Sunday, August 2nd. The program includes live broadcast seminars from Pride House, performances from Pride Stage, and dropping in on various events around Pride City. Read more about the program at Stockholm Pride.

Academic Pride

Academic Pride is a collaboration around Stockholm Pride between several of Stockholm’s higher education institutions and their associated student unions: Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College, Hyper Island, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sophiahemmet University, the Stockholm School of Economics, and Stockholm University.

The Pride flag will be hoisted at all participating schools throughout the festival program, including KI’s campuses in Flemingsberg and Solna.

Participation in Pride is arranged together with the student unions of the various schools, including Medicinska Föreningen’s LGBTQ association Queerolinska at Karolinska Institutet, the Rainbows association at Stockholm University (an association for LGBTQIA+ students), and the Student Association at the Stockholm School of Economics (SASSE).

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