A chairde,
Fáilte roimh Traenáil Bhándearg 2020!
Welcome to Pink Training 2020!
My name is Marie and I’m the Vice President for Equality and Citizenship, and the lead organiser of Pink Training 2020. It is an honour for me to organise Pink Training 2020, COVID-19 has led to Pink Training looking a little different this year and the move online has been… interesting to say the least! Although, even in the midst of a pandemic we are still ensuring you have the most enjoyable Pink Training.
Pink Training or call it the biggest party of the year but there is no denying that Pink Training is an unforgettable, incredible event that changes lives. I have been to a number of Pink Trainings over the years and it is honestly such a privilege to organise this year’s event. Pink Training enters its 28th year and continues to be a highlight in the USI calendar, a weekend talks, discussions a festival of diversity and activism, both a call to action and a place people can call home all at once far from the event’s humble beginnings back in 1992.
I am lucky to have a number of strong and remarkable women go before me in this role who have built this role and event to where it is today! LGBTQ+ student activists have been at the forefront of so many social justice movements and continue to fight to this day for societal change. We have many LGBTQ+ leaders in the student movement and that’s down to initiatives like Pink Training to continue to encourage LGBTQ+ students like yourselves into leadership positions.
We have come so far but we will have a long way to go, the implementation of gender identity and expression policies in every institution, continuing the fight for gender neutral bathrooms, tackling homophobia and transphobia within our institutions and as a society. Nationally, we are and fighting for access to adequate, safe and best practice healthcare for all transgender and non-binary people in Ireland, the introduction of hate crime legislation, the availability of PrEP for anyone who needs it, for an end to the discriminatory MSM blood ban and address the lack of LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education within our schools.
Internationally, we stand in solidarity with our siblings in Poland who continue to fight against continued homophobia and transphobia and to our siblings in Poland and Argentina who continue to battle for bodily autonomy.
After Pink Training, I hope you make new friends, learn and come away with a desire to make change! Even though Pink Training is online this year try attend as many workshops as you can, bring snacks and make the most of the weekend! If you feel overwhelmed at any point this weekend text USI to 50808 or log in to our safe space.
Enjoy every second of Pink Training and I look forward to welcoming you all on November 27th, 2020!
Le bród,
Marie
A chairde,
Welcome to Pink Training 2020! What a weekend we have ahead of us!
My name is Lorna Fitzpatrick, my pronouns are she/her and I am honoured to welcome you to Pink Training as President of the Union of Students in Ireland. A movement that had proudly, unapologetically and enthusiastically campaigned for the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Ireland since well before any of us were born!
What a year it has been; we didn’t expect much of what 2020 has given us but one thing will remain – Pink Training is the safe, welcoming and supportive place for all of us to join together, learn from one another and share our experiences. While we can’t meet face to face or bop on the dance floor in Sult this year, we can pull all our best (or in my case, terrible!) moves on our bedroom floors during the evening entertainment!
Every year, I am filled with such hope and enthusiasm by all of the delegates that attend Pink Training and this year I am even more inspired – something I didn’t think was possible. You have agreed to sit in front of your laptop for longer than you need to learn and support each other. You have gone through an extremely difficult 8 months during COVID-19 but you continue to show up and speak up – which is an incredible achievement.
I hope you enjoy this weekend. Get involved, go to different sessions, chat to each other using the Facebook group and keep it touch with your delegate co-ordinator and SU support officer. The USI Executive Team will be here throughout the weekend to support you too so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
With pride,
Lorna
