EDMONTON – A series of colorful posters helping to celebrate Pride Week are used to feature inspiring Canadians from the LGBTQ2S + community.

Created through a collaboration with the Edmonton Catholic Teachers Gender and Sexuality Alliance and artist and educator Megan Tipler, 30 different posters featuring local activists, athletes and actors are on display.

Tipler produced posters featuring Indigenous and Black historical figures for Indigenous and Black History Months.

A biography accompanies each poster to help educate people about characters often overlooked when examining Canadian history, Molloy said.

“Pride month is in being seen,” said Tiff Pino, Edmonton Catholic Teachers GSA Co-Chair. “We’re in hiding most of the time, unless you specifically say something, it’s something that may go unnoticed.”

For Pino, the project aims to help celebrate pride but also to educate, inspire and provide better representation.

“The fact that these great models of our current Canadian culture are just there and proud of who they are is so fantastic. But then it also opens up and allows others to be who they are and to become role models themselves in their own communities. “

While deciding on which 30 people to highlight through the posters was difficult, Pino said the group had tried to highlight as many people representing different diverse communities.

“We tried to cover as much as possible because we wanted it to also be celebrated and inspiring for our students to give them a sense of what can happen in their world too, because sometimes they don’t see themselves in those roles. . “

“Sometimes there isn’t a lot of diversity in our classrooms for specific communities,” said Andi Molloy, co-chair of the Edmonton Catholic Teachers GSA. “So for them being able to see each other is pretty awesome. “

The Edmonton Catholic Teachers Gender and Sexuality Alliance helps create safer experiences for students and district staff while ensuring schools are as inclusive as possible.

Although the posters are created by teachers for use in classrooms, anyone can purchase the collection for $ 10 to display and learn while supporting a good cause.

Part of the profits raised in June will be donated to the association CHEW project.