EngiQueers Canada (EQ) is a national non-profit founded by Vanessa Raponi and Alexander Dow in response to the 2014 McMaster songbook scandal. EQ’s mission is to provide safe spaces for queer engineering students, fostering a welcoming profession through education, advocacy, social connection, and professional development.

Jessica Thiede, a student in the UNBC/UBC joint environmental engineering program, found her community and passion through EQ. Attending the inaugural 2023 EQ conference, she was embraced by an inclusive engineering community. This experience led her to run for an executive position, opening numerous doors for promoting equity and diversity in engineering. Now VP of EQ, Jessica plans to continue her involvement for years to come.

EQ has chapters at nearly every engineering school in Canada, including UBC’s Gears and Queers. Since 2022, President Ana Bandari has led Gears and Queers in uplifting LGBTQ2+ engineering students at UBC Vancouver. The club creates welcoming spaces through study nights and events like painting the Cairn for Trans Day of Remembrance. They advocate for inclusive practices in engineering and collaborate with other LGBTQ2+ groups on campus, forming a unified community.

For more information, follow @gears.and.queers on Instagram or read more in The Ubyssey: Queering Gears and Students Paint Engineering Cairn in Honour of Transgender Day of Remembrance.