Proud Academics walked in the Pride Parade through Stockholm

Throughout Pride Week, the rainbow flag also sway over KI's campus. Karolinska Institutet participates in collaboration with the student unions Medicinska Föreningen (MF) and Odontologiska Föreningen (OF) and the majority of universities in Stockholm. This year's Pride parade was a highlight:

"It's really fantastic to see all of Stockholm transformed into a colourful sea of ​​people bursting with joy as so many people support the right to be themselves and love who they want," says Elin Törnqvist, vice president of MF.

KI's Academic Vice President for Higher Education, Ewa Ehrenborg, also participated:

"It was fantastic to participate in this year's Pride Parade. What an atmosphere! Especially to be able to walk side by side  with the vice-chairmen of MF and OF respectively and feel a deep sense of belonging in these important issues," she says.

Why is it important to participate?

"To support and demonstrate that everyone has the right to be who they are," says Ewa Ehrenborg.

Elin Törnqvist: "To show that everyone is welcome at KI and the student union. With us, everyone should feel confident to be themselves and feel included. It is important that we show our support for LGBTQI+ people's rights, which never should be taken for granted."

In addition to the parade, Academic Pride during the week also hosted a panel discussion with the theme "International perspective on the life situation and rights of LGBTQ+ people - Iran and Russia". Academic Pride is a collaboration between several of Stockholm's universities and their associated student unions: KTH, Stockholm University, Södertörn University and the The Stockholm School of Economics. The aim is to make visible the importance of LGBT+ issues at the universities, both in terms of research and education and in terms of an including work and study environments.