Former college student shares story of resilience during Pride flag raising

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on June 21, 2023.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Dillon Hausauer, along with Lethbridge Pride Fest president Lane Sterr and college provost Samantha Lenci, shares memories from her time at Lethbridge College as a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge College raised its Progressive Pride Flag for the third year in a row to celebrate Pride month, just like it’s been doing for the last eight years.

The Progressive Pride Flag represents not only members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, but also promotes inclusivity by recognizing trans individuals, marginalized people of colour, and those who are living with, or who have died from, HIV/AIDS.

This year to celebrate pride month, the college invited an alumni to share her story about her experience as a college student, alumni and member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Dillon Hausauer shared some of her personal experiences as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and how she actively encourages others to draw strength from their pain. She said she was surprised when the college reached out to her to talk during the ceremony because it’s been a few years since she has spoken about gender or sexuality. She now speaks about resilience and how people can grow and learn from pain.

“And then I thought, isn’t that the perfect message for pride, especially in a year like this when we see so much going on in the world and right here in our own communities?” said Hausauer

She remembers a time that was very dark in her life, while she was in the hospital a couple of weeks after speaking at an event at city hall.

“I was sitting there, a bunch of brain fog, my mental health condition had worsened, and I really wasn’t in a good space, and then this one gentleman came walking by and he stopped and he turned, came back and he said, ‘were you speaking at something at city hall two weeks ago?’ and in that moment there is a sense of shame and embarrassment. How had I been able to go and tell my story and then all of a sudden two weeks later here I am sitting in the psych ward dealing with my problems.”

She said she reluctantly answered yes and the gentleman told her he was there with his daughter, and he told her that her story opened his eyes to things he have never thought about when it comes to people’s experiences with gender and sexuality.

Hausauer said he mentioned that thanks to her story, his daughter felt like she could be loved and accepted in a community no matter who she was.

“In that moment, I realized that we can grow from our experiences. I developed my passion for telling stories, to be able to share how I have learned and how I’ve grown, and that when we do that, when we all do that, we can make the world a better place.”

Hausauer, who was a student representative on the Lethbridge College Students’ Association (LCSA) her first year and president her second year, said it was during this time she began to explore issues around her gender identity and sexual orientation.

She used her leadership position with the LCSA to advocate for provincial funding. The effort paid off in January 2013 when the Government of Alberta granted $1.5 million to the Alberta Students Executive Council to support mental health initiatives in post-secondary institutions. 

Lethbridge College has also made consistent efforts over the past decade to show support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community by flying the Pride Flag each June, marching in the Pride Parade, opening the Pride Lounge, recruiting student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) ambassadors, offering employees awareness and ally training, establishing gender neutral washrooms around campus, and facilitating a working group to identify ways to demonstrate meaningful support for the college’s 2SLGBTQ+ students.

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