Fiona Dobson (left) decided to bring EniQueers to UNBC to stir-up conversations around LGBTQ+ individuals at the university while creating a community and providing resources to LGBTQ + students.

By Veronica Beltran

EngiQueers comes to UNBC

UNBC student creates new group to support diversity in engineering

Jan 30, 2020 | 2:36 PM

PRINCE GEORGE–There’s a new group atop University Way, one trying to promote conversation around engineering students who identify as LGBTQ+ while also providing resources to them.

EngiQueers is a nationwide organization promoting diversity, community and education for the LGBTQ+ community in engineering. Fiona Dobson, a second-year UNBC Engineering student took it upon herself to create an EngiQueers group at UNBC.

“I really wanted to engage the engineering side specifically because the EngiQueers Organization has a lot of really great resources,” said Dobson to us in an on-camera interview.

Resources such as helping LGBTQ+ engineering students find jobs, “there can be a really hard time when it comes to…encouraging people who are minorities, especially women and Queer people in that industry,” said PG Queer Cafe Organizer, Laura Lawrence.

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“We really need diversity in engineering to do our jobs well cause our number one goal is to serve the public and protect the public…We can’t really do that without incorporating diversity and inclusivity.”–Fiona Dobson, President of UNBC EngiQueers

The group is hosting its first event on Thursday (Jan.30) evening. The event is a craftivism inspired one, where crafts meet activism. Dobson says that a TED talk inspired the idea, after learning that most people are introverts and that doing extroverted forms of activism, such as rallies and protests aren’t for everyone.

Paper cranes are the craft of the evening, which Dobson chose due to the Japanese legend that if you fold 1,000 cranes you are granted one wish.