What is the Yellow House?
The Yellow House Student Centre for Equity and Inclusion (commonly referred to as simply "the Yellow House") is a centralised space that provides programming, advisory services, resources, and acts as a hub for all things equity. We are committed to creating a comfortable and accountable space for students who identify as Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and as Persons of Colour (QTBIPoC) to feel safe, to create community, to be empowered, to celebrate their identity, and to flourish. We seek to engage students in initiatives that actively dismantle oppressive, racist, and colonial ideologies and practices.
We work closely with the team at Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre and are pleased to make direct referrals for Indigenous-identifying students to honour other aspects of your identity.
Our Mandate
We work together to serve students through four major goals:
- Be a safer space for QTBIPoC students to create community. The ability to create community is integral to student wellness. The Yellow House is a safe space for QTBIPoC students to exist and be themselves. To thrive. To find joy. A space where QTBIPoC students can connect with one another to benefit from the power of community to support, to uplift and stand together.
- Connect QTBIPoC students with university resources that are tailored to their needs. The Yellow House is a resource centre for QTBIPoC students. A space to get connected to university resources, with a focus on connecting QTBIPoC students with QTBIPoC service providers. A space where QTBIPoC students feel comfortable to access university resources as a community or as individuals that are tailored to their needs.
- Honour the voices of QTBIPoC students. The Yellow House student clubs and all QTBIPoC students engaging in student-centered anti-oppression and anti-racism work have a valued role within the university. Students have formalized opportunities to share their ideas and perspectives, shaping university policy in meaningful ways to encourage an inclusive campus culture. Students are appropriately recognized for their work.
- Commitment to growth. We meaningfully engage QTBIPoC student communities in development opportunities that support personal, academic and professional growth. The Yellow House curates a suite of co-curricular programs and tools designed to develop acumen that foster future changemakers who will make an impact on inclusion at Queen’s and beyond. Connecting QTBIPoC students to opportunities that build skills and connections to jobs is an important aspect of dismantling frameworks that impede on equitable opportunities and to advance socio-economic status.
History
Yellow House was founded in 2019 by recommendation of the University Council on Anti-Racism and Equity (UCARE) pursuant to recommendations made in the 2017 report from the Principal’s Implementation Committee on Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (“the PICRDI Report”) for a designated racial equity and social justice centre on campus.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the Yellow House had to transition to online and hybrid operations. In fall of 2022, the Yellow House was able to return to fully in-person operations.
Governance
The Yellow House operates under the Division of Student Affairs as a dedicated space for student clubs committed advancing social justice, anti-racism, equity, diversity or inclusion on campus. The programs and functions of this House are meant to create a safe and accountable space for queer, racialized and marginalized students be themselves and to build community.
The Division of Student Affairs operates according to a strong mandate oriented towards building a collaborative and responsive campus community where every student and staff member feels a sense of belonging. The Yellow House is an important element of this plan.
The Yellow House is headed by a Director who reports into the Assistant Dean, Student Life and Learning and Deputy Provost, Academic Operations and Inclusion. A Coordinator and Departmental Assistant report into the Director, and together this team acts as a conduit to resources and structures within the DSA to support and empower Clubs in the House to achieve their goals related to inclusion on campus.
Meet the Team
The people that you can expect to see around the Yellow House
Danny, EDI Coordinator
(they/them)
Danny is a Jewish, neurodivergent, queer, trans, and non-binary writer and community organizer. They are a poet, an essayist, a video game enthusiast, and a zine-maker. They are also a Queen's alum with both their Bachelors and their Masters in Gender Studies, with research focused on trans and queer storytelling in video games. They have lived in Kingston for seven years, during which time they've found joy in community building and helping to bring to life a variety of community-centered arts and social justice projects. These include a queer and trans musical theatre showcase, educational events with Queer Collage Collectives, a queer poetry night with SACK, queer and trans games nights with the Yellow House, and many more ever-emerging passion projects. Danny comes to the Yellow House with a range of interests and experiences. As a community mental health worker, they provided harm reduction and peer support skills education to youth across Kingston and area. As a researcher, their work has contributed to the development of trainings for SVPRS on the topic of responding to disclosures of sexual violence. As a poet and writer, they create written and collage work about transness, queerness, and embodiment. As a former student activist, Danny is thrilled to be bringing their passion and lived experienced on this campus to their work for equity-deserving students at the Yellow house.
Deanna, Yellow House Director
(she/her/hers)
Deanna is new to the Queen’s community, joining the Division of Student Affairs in July 2020 to lead the operations of the Yellow House. Her prime focus this academic year is to work with Clubs and various stakeholders on campus to build a strategic framework for the House, including a Mandate and Mission and a university-wide consultation to re-name the House.
Deanna has worked in the field of EDI for over ten years with a strong commitment to developing environments where difference is cultivated into cohesion–where people are empowered to share their unique talents and traits, allowing their best selves and resounding potential to emerge. Her passion for seeing uniqueness as a strength has taken her through diverse project work in both public and private spheres across retail, aviation and financial services. Using education as a tool to advance organizational success is a prime focus, she has lead teams through technology integrations, transformative HR policy and social change through progressive community programs.
Deanna holds a Master of Educational Leadership and Policy from OISE, University of Toronto and an undergraduate degree in sociology from Carleton University. Learn more about Deanna.
Kel, Sexual and Gender Diversity Advisor
(they/them or he/him)
Kel is a queer, trans and non-binary OCT certified art/drama teacher, artist and researcher who is engaged in a vast range of work with the queer and trans community at Queen’s and broadly within Kingston. They are honoured and excited to be part of the Yellow House. Kel has engaged with a variety of sexual and gender diversity focused projects such as leadership within Gay Straight Alliances (GSA) in high school and post-secondary contexts, coordinating large events such as Queer Prom, facilitating events and meetings with TransFamily Kingston, support of the launch of the online knowledge mobilization hub GEGI Project, artistic initiatives for Kingston Pride, support of a project to implement gender neutral washrooms at Queen’s through the Provost’s Action Group on Gender and Sexual Diversity and more.
Kel is thrilled to lay important groundwork for this position, all while engaging in committees and working groups to create meaningful change at Queen’s and continuing to engage in the queer community. They look forward to bringing you events and resources in the coming months, listening to concerns and assisting, as well as collaborating with you to bring your visions to life.
krm4@queensu.ca
Mars, Departmental Assistant
(they/them)
Mars is a queer, non-binary student at Queen's completing their Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a focus on Gender/Trans Studies. They have been with the Yellow House since 2022 in various roles. Mars has been involved in EDII work since elementary school and has grown into their passion for community building through the Queen's queer community, Q+, and the Yellow House. Through work, school, and everyday life they advocate for QTBIPoC mental health, emphasizing creativity as an outlet, connecting with community, and rest. In their studies they are focused on topics such as trans experience in medical spaces and self-love as a form of QTBIPoC/fat/disabled resistance.
Feel free to visit Mars at the front desk in the Rideau space during open hours (Monday-Friday, 9-4)
Tianna, EDI Coordinator
(she/her/hers)
Tianna is responsible for coordinating programs and communications for Yellow House. She loves the opportunity to grow this community for QTBIPoC students on campus. This role aligns with her purpose and goals to support queer and racialized students and make campus a great place for all. Tianna grew up in Kingston and moved away for 10 years to complete her post-secondary education and begin her career as a journalist. She founded and runs the blog, Keep up with Kingston that houses a local Black-owned business list and is currently completing her Masters in Cultural Studies at Queen’s, with a focus on The Black Experience in Kingston.
She has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Media Studies as well as a diploma in Journalism from the University of Guelph Humber.
Meet the Clubs
The clubs placed in the Yellow House each have a unique mandate and mission to reach a variety of students. They do not report to the Yellow House mandate or staff in any way.
The Yellow House currently houses four student clubs that demonstrate a commitment to advancing social justice, anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion: the African & Caribbean Students' Association (ACSA), Queen's Black Academic Society (QBAS), the Levana Gender Advocacy Centre (LGAC), and Queen's University Muslim Students' Association (QUMSA). Read more about these clubs below.
Placements in the Yellow House are open to AMS- or SGPS-ratified clubs dedicated to promoting inclusivity on campus. Clubs are welcome to submit an application for placement in the Yellow House for a three year term. Applications open any time space at the centre becomes available. Notice of space available will be communicated by the Deputy Provost, Academic Operations and Inclusion, the Yellow House and UCARE. Click to read about the Terms of Reference and application process.
African & Caribbean Students' Association (ACSA)
Advancing issues of importance to students of African and Caribbean descent and to those who are not of African or Caribbean descent but share a common interest.
In an effort to accomplish our goals, the club plans a wide variety of events ranging from educational, social, community outreach and sporting events to educate both the Queen’s and Kingston communities about the African and Caribbean cultural elements. We extend open invitations to all who are interested in learning about, participating and indulging in the African and Caribbean culture.
Instagram: @acsaqueensu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACSAQueensU/?locale=sq_AL
Queen's Black Academic Society (QBAS)
QBAS began in 2011 as a passion project seeking to advance Black academics and enrich the lives of self-identified Black students through a focus on education, equity, wellness and, issues pertinent to the Black community. Advocacy and seeking policy change on Queen’s campus is an important element of our mandate in addition to the variety of activities and initiatives we offer students.
Our major events include our Real-Talk discussions, Black History Month celebrations and our annual Conference on the Future of Black Scholarship.
Instagram: @queensblackacademic
Queen's University Muslim Students' Association (QUMSA)
We act as a focal point for Muslim students to meet for various acts of worship and strive to create an inclusive and welcoming platform for all students.
Our goals include:
- providing a platform for the discussion of issues that are relevant to Muslims in the West
- acting as an educational and spiritual resource (from surviving that first exam to dealing with the social stresses of a new environment)
- increasing Islamic awareness while helping discredit a lot of misconceptions about Islam.
We provide students the opportunity to engage in spiritual activities on campus as well as interact with other clubs on campus and with the general Kingston community.
Website: https://www.qumsa.com/
Instagram: @qumsa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QUMSA/
Levana Gender Advocacy Centre (LGAC)
The Levana Gender Advocacy Centre is a student-funded Queen’s University organization committed to creating and nurturing a radical community of Kingston students and residents. Devoted to fighting gender oppression and advocating for broad ideas of gender empowerment for those of any or no gender, Levana operates on anti-oppressive practices. We are committed to confronting all forms of oppression and working to dismantle oppressive systems and hierarchies including patriarchy, racism, white supremacy, colonialism, classism, cissexism, heterosexism, and ableism.
Levana exists for anyone in the Kingston community, regardless of whether or not they are Queen’s students.
Instagram: @levanagender
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/levanaGAC/
