Being gay, rugby and financial barriers with Elias Srouji

Students and young professionals are facing barriers, uncertainty, biases, changing priorities and now a pandemic as they navigate the school to work transition. Their collective stories have inspired me and now I want to share these stories with you.

Now let’s meet Elias. Elias Srouji is due to graduate in April 2021 with an Honors Bachelors of Arts in Social Psychology from McMaster University and a Business Studies Certificate from Mohawk College.

Elias has a huge passion for sports and is the first openly gay men’s rugby player at McMaster University and Ontario University Athletics (OUA). Elias has held several different roles in the McMaster University Athletics & Recreation Department from 2017 - 2020. His work with diversity and inclusion is widely recognized within the department and within the McMaster community where he has organized and executed several pride-themed events in collaboration with community partners to ensure McMaster Athletics & Recreation is a place for all. His latest pride-themed event won the Ontario University Association award for the “Best Varsity Themed Night.”

Being outed as a gay rugby player at his Waterloo Catholic High School, Elias wanted to ensure no one experienced what he went through just to be their true authentic selves. He recently co-founded the Student Pride Movement to ensure positive change for LGBTQ+ students and staff at his former Waterloo Catholic District School Board that gained over 4500+ petition signatures.

Elias is a two-time recipient award winner of the Bill 7 Award. The Bill 7 Award Trust was established in 1987 to provide post-secondary education scholarships to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited or queer (LGBTQ) students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing a first degree, diploma or certification in any Ontario post-secondary institution. The Bill 7 Award is named after the 1986 Ontario legislation that extended the protection of the Human Rights Code to lesbians and gays. Since 1987, the Bill 7 Award has granted over $200,000 in scholarship funds, raised through donations, to students in the queer community to help them with the cost of post-secondary education.

I had the chance to sit down to talk Being gay, rugby and financial barriers with Elias Srouji and I am happy to share our conversation with you, Enjoy!

#CoffeeWithConvery #EliasSrouji #OutInSports #Listen #Learn #BeInspired